Lock and Key
by charley07
Summary: Klaus Mikaelson is a world famous musician and he's playing a sold-out show in his hometown of London. His team consists of his entire family, as well as newcomer Hayley Marshall, assistant tour manager. She joins the crew with hope that she'll eventually become the woman Klaus writes his famous love songs about, but little does she know... NO LONGER JUST A ONESHOT!
1. Chapter 1

**So I'm blocked right now on both of my multi-chapter stories, but this has been stuck in my head for a while now, so I had to get it out. It's AU/AH and Klaus is a musician. Obviously Ed Sheeran sings "Give Me Love" and "Thinking Out Loud," but they worked for the sake of the story so I borrowed them. It jumps around to different scenes, but I tried to break it up so hopefully it all makes sense. Also, if you can figure out where the mashed up name of the journalist comes from, you'll earn my sincere respect. As always, let me know what you think. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

"So backstage before a show can be incredibly hectic," Katherine explained quickly as she moved around people preparing for the performance. "Klaus is getting ready on his own, but there are a hundred other people working together to make this happen. Don't get in their way."

Hayley nodded, taking mental notes as she tried to keep up with the fast-paced tour manager. "Does he usually get ready alone?"

"Yes," Katherine confirmed. "I've been his tour manager for six years and he's never once asked for anyone in his dressing room at least two hours before a single show. No one knows what he does, but he's spectacular on stage, so we don't ask."

"What about his assistant?" Hayley asked. "Caroline, right?"

Katherine stopped abruptly and spun to face the new brunette, causing Hayley to nearly slam into her. "Don't call her that. Don't let her hear you call her that and certainly don't let him. Caroline has been a part of this family for a very long time and we all decided a long time ago that calling her just his assistant was degrading to what she does here. Without Caroline, this entire ship would sink in minutes. No one can do his or her job without Caroline doing hers."

"Got it," Hayley muttered, feeling properly shamed. "She uhh, dates Kol, doesn't she? I'm just trying to get up-to-date here."

Katherine sighed and went on walking. "That's speculation that hasn't been confirmed. They're lifelong friends, and they swear it's nothing more than that."

Before Hayley could respond, Rebekah, Klaus' sister and stylist, stopped them. "We have a problem. My darling brother is saying that he won't wear the jacket tonight. He's worn it all bloody tour, but suddenly, he's refusing."

"Rebekah, I don't have time for this," Katherine rolled her eyes.

"You're the tour manager!" Rebekah cried. "This is exactly your problem."

"No, I deal with tour issues," Katherine corrected. "All Klaus issues are deferred to his actual manager. Find Elijah."

The blonde frowned. "He'll take your side and tell me to deal with it."

Katherine admired her wedding rings. "Yeah, he's good like that. Goodbye, Beks. Come on, Hayley."

"Who's the new girl?" Kol asked as he joined his sister, watching the two brunettes continue their backstage tour.

"New assistant tour manager," Rebekah explained. "Katherine finally replaced Cami."

Kol nodded. "Think she'll survive working under Katherine?"

"It wasn't Katherine that got Cami fired," Rebekah reminded him. "It was her constantly coming on to Klaus."

"Yes, I do seem to recall her batting her eyes quite a bit at him," Kol nodded. "Can't for the life of me figure out why. I mean, I'm always around, so she needn't slum with him."

"Gross," Rebekah gagged, shoving him away.

* * *

After the tour, Katherine excused herself from Hayley and hurried away to speak with the sound technicians, so Hayley tried to make herself useful by checking on Klaus. Just as she went to knock on his dressing room door, a soft voice called to her.

"Don't do that."

Hayley looked up to see a pretty blonde in jeans and a simple blue t-shirt walking towards her. "He goes on in fifteen minutes, so I thought I'd make sure he's ready."

"He knows," the blonde assured her. "He's never missed a show by even a minute, so he'll be ready. You must be Hayley?"

"I am," Hayley confirmed, offering a hand. "You are?"

"Caroline Forbes," the blonde introduced, shaking hands.

"Nice to meet you," Hayley said. "So, what's he like? Katherine was very tight-lipped about it all."

"No offense, but it's probably best that you figure it out on your own," Caroline explained, pulling a sleek phone from her back pocket. "Klaus is different with everyone. What I say about him will be different than what Katherine would say or what Henrik would say."

"Got it," Hayley mumbled. "Well, Katherine didn't really give me anything to do."

"Why don't you round up the band and make sure they're ready?" Caroline suggested. "Stefan is probably with Bekah somewhere, but it's hard telling where you'll find Marcel and Josh. I'd check the wardrobe room first; they like flirting with Bekah's assistants."

"I can do that," Hayley nodded. "Thanks."

"Sure," Caroline replied, going into a room across from Klaus', effectively ending their conversation.

* * *

"Have you met Katherine's new shadow?" Rebekah asked Caroline moments later as they waited for Klaus to emerge from his dressing room.

Caroline looked across the way at where Hayley was laughing at something Marcel was saying. "I did."

"And?" Rebekah mused. "Think she'll last?"

"She hasn't met him yet, so we'll find out," Caroline replied as the dressing room door opened and the musician walked out, dressed in jeans, a white Henley, and the jacket Rebekah had fought to get him into.

"Let's put on a show, shall we?" he spoke as he was immediately flanked by Elijah and Katherine. "Great job, mate," he added to his opening act, Vance Joy, as he passed by.

"Klaus, you need to meet the new assistant tour manager," Katherine explained. "Hayley," she called over her shoulder. "Come here."

Hayley rushed forward. "Hi, Mr. Mikaelson. I'm Hayley Marshall; it's so nice to meet you and be here."

"Please, call me Klaus," he requested. "'Mr. Mikaelson' was my father and he was hardly that."

"Right," Hayley noted. "Well, if you ever need anything from me, don't hesitate to ask."

"That's nice, love, but you'll work mostly with Kat here," he told her. "Most of my communication goes through either Elijah or Caroline first."

Hayley deflated. "Oh, I understand."

"That will be all for now," Katherine dismissed her. "Just keep an eye on Marcel and Josh until they get to the stage."

"You have to give her some actual responsibility, Katerina," Elijah advised of his wife as they continued walking. "That's why you hired her."

"I hired her because I need a glorified assistant," Katherine shot back. "One who wouldn't fall in love with our boy."

Klaus scoffed. "You keep biting attractive young women. Is that likely?"

"Slow the ego," Katherine warned as they reached the stage. "All right, I'm heading to the control booth. Good luck."

Klaus turned to his crew. "Let's do this."

The inner circle crowded in to pile their hands.

"It's my turn!" Henrik cried out happily. "On three. One, two, three..."

"Let's do this!" everyone cheered in unison.

* * *

Moments later, Klaus took the stage in front of tens of thousands and Hayley watched from the wings.

"He's impressive, huh?" Kol murmured, standing beside her.

"Yes," Hayley agreed, completely mesmerized. "His music is so authentic. Like, I'd never doubt that he wrote all of his songs."

"He'd hate if you did," Kol chuckled.

"His love songs," she gushed. "Are they about anyone in particular? Does he date? There's always speculation."

"Nik is very private," Kol shrugged. "What he does behind closed doors is a mystery to us all."

"No way," Hayley denied. "You're his brother; this whole operation is mostly family. Surely you'd know if he's romantically involved."

Kol shook his head. "No idea."

"Not even Caroline?" she asked. "Aren't PA's supposed to know and hide everything?"

Kol's face darkened. "Don't call her that. You have no idea what Caroline does around here."

Hayley smirked. "Is your anger confirmation of the rumors that you two are dating?"

"No comment, darling," he replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prep guitars."

"She's nosy," Kol told Caroline moments later when he found her. "She was asking about us."

"Was she?" Caroline murmured as she sent emails. "I can already tell I won't like her, but Kat needs her around, so I'll be polite."

"She's already enamored with him," Kol went on. "It didn't work out for Cami, so it won't work for Hayley."

"Well, she won't deal with him much," Caroline shrugged. "She's Katherine's bitch, to put it mildly."

He laughed and threw an arm around her. "Oh, that's one of the reasons I love you, Care. Such a nasty girl behind the innocent face."

"Fuck off, Kol," she rolled her eyes lovingly, pushing him away.

* * *

Onstage, Klaus sat down on the stool Kol had brought him and smiled out at the crowd. "I want to thank you all for coming out tonight for this show in my beloved hometown of London. This next song I'm gonna sing is one that I've never performed before. Most of the people I work with every single day have never heard it, but it's one I've been working on for a while now. This is 'Thinking Out Loud.'"

_When your legs don't work like they used to before_

_And I can't sweep you off of your feet_

_Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?_

_Will your eyes still smile from your cheeks?_

_And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70_

_And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23_

_And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

_Maybe just the touch of a hand_

_Well, me—I fall in love with you every single day_

_And I just wanna tell you I am_

_So honey now_

_Take me into your loving arms_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Place your head on my beating heart_

_I'm thinking out loud_

_That maybe we found love right where we are_

_When my hair's all but gone and my memory fades_

_And the crowds don't remember my name_

_When my hands don't play the strings the same way_

_I know you will still love me the same_

_'Cause honey your soul could never grow old, it's evergreen_

_And, baby, your smile's forever in my mind and memory_

_I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways_

_Maybe it's all part of a plan_

_Well, I'll just keep on making the same mistakes_

_Hoping that you'll understand_

_But, baby, now_

_Take me into your loving arms_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Place your head on my beating heart_

_Thinking out loud_

_That maybe we found love right where we are_

_So, baby, now_

_Take me into your loving arms_

_Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars_

_Oh, darling, place your head on my beating heart_

_I'm thinking out loud_

_That maybe we found love right where we are_

_Oh, baby, we found love right where we are_

_And we found love right where we are_

* * *

"Wow," Hayley breathed. "There's gotta be a girl, right? He's been rumored to date Emma Watson. Think it's her? Ooh, or Jennifer Lawrence? They were seen at a Halloween party together and she just broke up with Chris Martin."

Elijah, who was standing beside her, eyed her warily. "Miss Marshall, did you sign all of your paperwork today?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "Why?"

"Then you know you sign a non-disclosure agreement, meaning should you ever talk about anything private in Niklaus' life outside of this small circle, you'll spend years tied up in litigation," he warned coolly. "What my brother does and who he writes about is his business, and as the newest member of our team, you know absolutely nothing yet."

"Okay," she whispered, feeling mortified. "It's a great song though."

"Have you heard that one?" Kol asked Caroline when the new song finished up.

"Nope," she denied. "I like it though."

"Best love song yet," Kol agreed, "and he's written some doozies, no?"

"It's what he does best," she confirmed. "Now you need to go make sure the crew is packing up because we have to be out of the arena no later than one, which means we'll have two hours to clean up. Then we're on the train by seven AM to take the Chunnel towards Paris. Find Henrik and take him with you."

* * *

When the show ended, Klaus left the stage and found only Hayley waiting for him.

"Everyone is packing up because we have to be out by one," she filled him in as she walked just behind him. "You have an interview to do back at the hotel and then Caroline said it's straight to bed so you can be up by six."

He yawned. "Thank you, Hayley. If you don't mind, would you find Elijah and send him to my dressing room?"

Sad that he didn't care to spend time with her, Hayley sighed dejectedly. "Sure."

"Don't feel bad," Henrik said as he approached Hayley from behind. "Nik is an enigma to most of us. I'm his brother and I don't know him as well as I'd like to; few do. Do your job well and you'll get there."

"Who's in with him?" she asked, wondering who she should suck up to; it wasn't every day a girl got the chance to work for Klaus Mikaelson, after all.

Henrik shrugged. "Elijah, for sure. And Caroline. Stefan is his best friend, so him, too. Bekah and Kol are closer than me. It's just because I'm young."

"What about your parents?" she wanted to know.

"They died when I was four," he answered. "Elijah was just eighteen at the time, so I lived with my grandparents until I was twelve and started living on tour with everyone; Caroline was my tutor to finish school."

"She's just a jack-of-all-trades, huh?" Hayley realized.

"I guess," he shrugged. "Caroline is the glue."

"Uh-huh," she muttered. "I have to find Elijah. Have you seen him?"

Henrik nodded ahead of them at where Elijah was letting himself into Klaus' room. "Just there."

"Damn it," she groaned. "I was supposed to find him and send him there."

"Hayley!" Katherine called out. "We have a tech emergency and need all hands on-deck, so your job duties are expanding. Go with Klaus to his interview and intervene if questions are too personal. If he doesn't like a question, his immediate tell is to scratch the lock tattoo on his left wrist, so watch for that and jump in right away."

"Okay!" Hayley agreed quickly. "Who's the interview with?"

"It's a brief profile for _Rolling Stone_," Katherine explained. "He's on the cover next month so this is just some preliminary stuff. The big interview is next week in Italy."

"Sounds good," Hayley nodded.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Hayley sat in a limo with Klaus, heading towards the Goring Hotel.

"So, what previous tour experience have you had?" he asked, making polite conversation with her.

"Um, most recently I worked on Ellie Goulding's last tour," she explained. "And I've worked with Miley Cyrus and Ariana Grande in the past."

"So female artists?" he mused. "It's different with guys, just so you're prepared."

She smiled. "It's fine. I'm a guys' girl by nature, so I'm good."

"Don't tell the girls that," he warned with a smirk. "Kat and Bekah and Caroline are girls' girls. They're a very tight threesome, so getting in can be difficult. It didn't work out with the last assistant tour manager."

"I heard that was because she unsuccessfully threw herself at you," she boldly replied.

He shrugged. "She might've. I wasn't interested."

"What kind of girl are you interested in?" she wondered. "There's always speculation, but you never confirm anything and it's always mostly hearsay."

He sighed and leaned back in his seat. "I like a girl who is confident but not cocky. That's a cliché, I know, but it's true. Someone who isn't afraid to speak her mind and doesn't take shit from anyone. She's kind, but not a doormat. There's a light about her that is inexplicable but easily seen. You bask in it when she's around."

"This all sounds awfully specific," Hayley noticed. "Is she the mystery girl your new song was about? Or all of your brilliant love songs, for that matter?"

"I just write from the heart," he replied vaguely.

At the hotel, Klaus' security whisked him away to a private suite where the journalist from the magazine was waiting. Since most of the questions were about his music and the tour, Hayley occupied herself by checking the thirty emails Katherine had sent since she'd left the arena.

"What about love?" the man, Jax Sandoval, asked, catching Hayley's attention about fifteen minutes into the interview. "Your songs all sound so personal, so there must be, or have been, girls who have meant a great deal to you. 'Give Me Love,' for instance. That song won you three Grammys."

"It did," Klaus nodded calmly. "To date, it's perhaps my most meaningful, though I did perform a new song tonight that I'd say is up there. I wrote 'Give Me Love' for a wedding four years ago and had no idea it would take off quite like it did."

"Whose wedding?" Jax wanted to know.

"A member of my team," Klaus replied. "Caroline is my right-hand woman and she deserved something beautiful."

"Ah, yes, Caroline Forbes," Jax nodded knowingly. "One of the three woman integral to your team. Then there's Katherine Pierce-Mikaelson, your tour manager/sister-in-law, and Rebekah Mikaelson-Salvatore, your stylist/sister. It seems Team Klaus is very family-oriented." He looked to Hayley. "Are you a cousin?"

Klaus laughed. "No, no, she's new. Katherine needed an assistant tour manager to help her out so she hired Hayley here. This has been her first day."

"How's it going?" Jax asked her.

"Well," Hayley answered. "It seems like it's going to be an amazing experience. He's a fantastic musician and I'm very lucky to be a part of the team now."

Jax checked his notes. "I think we're good here now. I'll do a brief write-up for this month and then I'll see you next week in Venice."

"Sounds good, mate," Klaus said as he stood to shake Jax's hand. "Always a pleasure."

Once Jax was gone, Klaus yawned. "Well, Miss Marshall, it's been lovely, but I should shower and get to bed. Do you know the itinerary for tomorrow?"

"Yes," she confirmed, again hurt that he didn't want to get to know her. "I'll see you in the morning."

Hayley excused herself, left the suite, and headed down the hallway for the elevator. Klaus and his family were staying in a suite while the rest of the crew were being put up in smaller rooms on lower floors. When the doors opened, Kol and Caroline emerged, laughing about something.

"Oh, hi," Caroline greeted her. "How was the interview?"

"Fine," Hayley told her. "I never knew you were married? Klaus said he wrote 'Give Me Love' for your wedding. He said you deserved a beautiful song."

"He did?" Caroline breathed. "Um, yes, I am married."

Hayley eyed Kol suspiciously before looking back to the blonde. "Is it hard to be away from your husband?"

"Nope," Caroline denied. "Come on, Kol, we have to be up early. Goodnight, Hayley."

The doors closed before Hayley could make any more accusations.

"That was close," Kol mumbled as they walked down the hall to their rooms.

"Uh-huh," she grumbled. "I'll kill your brother."

"Don't be rash, darling," Kol grinned. "He was being honest for once; he did write that song for your wedding."

She sighed. "Yeah, yeah. I'll see you in a bit."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "See you."

Caroline turned and used a key to open the door behind her. She dropped her things in the foyer and went to the bedroom. Moments later, Klaus emerged from the bathroom in nothing but a towel around his waist.

"Hello, sweetheart," he smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing, talking about the background to 'Give Me Love' like that?" she snapped. "We've kept a cover on everything for years and you almost blew it in minutes! Saying I deserved something beautiful?" she scoffed. "Please. You just wanted to say I danced to _your_ song."

"Oh, I didn't give a single specific," he explained, going to the dresser for pants to sleep in. "I don't know why it's such a big deal. It's been four years. It's probably time you admit it."

"You just wanted to impress the new girl," she smirked. "So few celebrities will talk openly about personal stuff, so you wanted her to think you're a rebel for doing it."

Klaus made a face. "I wasn't terribly impressed with Hayley. She's worked with mediocre artists at best and her outfit was entirely inappropriate. She almost makes me miss Camille."

"Take that back," Caroline demanded.

Klaus raised a brow. "Have I hit a nerve, Caroline?"

"You know Cami was a thorn in my side," she said through gritted teeth.

"Someone sounds jealous," he chuckled in a sing-song tone.

She threw a pillow at him. "You're an asshole."

"Perhaps," he agreed, "but you married me."

"I did," she sighed. "And despite everything you are, I don't have any complaints yet."

Klaus laughed and pulled her to him. "I would like to tell the world about us though, sweetheart. We've been married for four years and we deserve an award for how well we've hid it, but I want everyone to know you're my wife. I want them to know I write those songs for you. Jax Sandoval has always been good to me, so why don't we tell him?"

She chewed on her bottom lip. "I don't know. We'll have to ask Elijah and see what he thinks. For now, I'd like to shower and sleep."

"All right," he agreed, kissing her before releasing her. "Hurry up in there; I like falling asleep beside you."

"Ugh, sap," she joked, walking to the bathroom.

"You love me," he called after her.

Caroline stopped at the door and looked back at him. "I guess that makes you lucky."

* * *

Downstairs, Hayley sat on her phone, talking to her best friend back home, Sophie.

"It's amazing," she gushed. "He's so beautiful and in the limo to his hotel, he was telling me about what he looks for in a girl and I swear, it's basically me in a nutshell."

"What about his team?" Sophie wanted to know. "Aren't they like, all his family?"

"Yeah," Hayley confirmed. "His older brother, Elijah, is his manager and he's married to Katherine, the tour manager. His younger sister, Rebekah, is his stylist and she's married to Stefan, his lead guitarist. His youngest brother, Henrik, is just eighteen, so he tags along because they've all been caring for him since their parents died."

Sophie thought for a moment. "Isn't there another brother? Kol?"

"Yes, Kol," Hayley confirmed. "He's the guitar tech and it's not confirmed, but I'm pretty sure he's married to Caroline, Klaus' glorified assistant, but when I called her that, I was reprimanded. She seems like a bitch. But Klaus wrote 'Give Me Love' when she got married and there's no way she'd travel all the time like this without her husband, so it has to be Kol. That's the inner circle and I know she isn't married to Klaus. He's single. And perfect," she sighed.

* * *

The following morning, Team Klaus convened in a conference room for a quick breakfast before heading to the train station.

Caroline was just filling her mug of coffee when Hayley joined her at the coffee bar.

"Morning," Hayley yawned. "How can you look that good after to little sleep?"

"Been doing this a long time," Caroline shrugged.

"I noticed you don't wear a wedding ring," Hayley stated. "Why not?"

"If I'm helping techs, it gets in the way and I'm afraid I'll lose it," Caroline explained, thinking Hayley to be a tad nosy. "I wear it occasionally, but we got matching tattoos instead."

Hayley could tell by the finality in Caroline's voice that she wanted to drop it, so she made a mental note to check both Caroline and Kol for tattoos when she could.

"Excuse me," Caroline said, reaching over Hayley for the sugar.

Hayley scooted over and spotted the flash of ink on Caroline's left wrist.

"Hey, what's your tattoo of?" Hayley asked as Caroline backed away.

"Oh, this?" Caroline asked, holding up her arm. "It's a skeleton key."

"A skeleton key?" Hayley repeated.

"It's my matching tattoo," Caroline explained, getting irritated.

The brunette. "Oh, that makes sense." And then, suddenly, it hit her, and she gasped. "Son of a bitch!"


	2. Chapter 2

**All right, y'all win. I've decided to make this a oneshot series of sorts, but the fun part is that you guys get to choose what I write next. This time? The interview and a little more Klaroline. Whatever you want to see next, tell me. For whatever reason, I'm into this idea, so I'll run with it. Hopefully, in getting back to this pairing, I'll break through the block on my other two stories. As always, let me know what you think. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

Klaus watched in amusement as Caroline paced back and forth in the hotel suite, pretending to clean up a bit.

"You're going to wear yourself out, sweetheart," he called to her. "Why don't you come sit down for a moment? Jax won't be here for another ten minutes. Elijah said he'd call upon the man's arrival."

"I'm nervous," she admitted, though that fact was blatantly obvious. "All this speculation about your love life for years and you're about to blow it out of the water by finally admitting we've been married for four. Are you sure this is what you want? Cause it will open up a whole new can of worms for you."

"I'm sure," he confirmed, standing up to stop her. "I've never been more sure of anything, except that I wanted to marry you all those years ago."

"Okay," she breathed. "It will be fine. And maybe people will stop calling me your personal assistant. I'd prefer to just be your wife."

"Well, that's a title you'll have the rest of your life," he assured her, holding her close. "You know what will calm you down?"

"A shot?" she joked.

"No," he chuckled softly, slowly swaying in place. "We'll dance."

"There's no music," she pointed out.

"Well, Caroline, in case you've forgotten, you married a musician," he replied, humming the music to one of her favorite songs, 'Kiss Me.'

"This is nice," she whispered after a few moments with her head resting on his shoulder.

"The tour breaks in a week before we head to the States," Klaus reminded her. "We have two weeks off, so I've planned a vacation for you and me."

Caroline pulled back just enough to look at him in awe. "You did? We never go on vacations alone; it would've blown our cover. Did you do all this in the last week?"

"Uh, no," he denied. "Admittedly, because I know you like honesty, I was going to tell Jax about us today whether you knew it or not." He immediately flinched in preparation for her reaction.

"What?!" she cried. "Nik, you can't do shit like that. I realize you're the one living your life in the public eye, but decisions you make about our marriage affect me, too."

He just held her tighter. "Caroline, why does it matter now? We've agreed it's for the best."

"But what if it wasn't?" she demanded. "What if I wasn't ready? You were just going to do it anyways."

"If I really thought you weren't ready, you know I wouldn't," Klaus replied sincerely. "But you are. I know how much you hate being called 'Klaus Mikaelson's personal assistant' and how much you hate reading about me being linked to other women. Anytime a magazine comes out with me on the cover with someone else, you hardly sleep. It takes me singing like, four songs to the usual one or two for you to nod off." He took her face gently between his hands. "If all of this goes away tomorrow, and it very well could, as long as I have you, I'll be happy. I love you very much, sweetheart. I just want everyone to know it."

Any residual anger she had left at his words. She placed her hands over his and leaned in to kiss him. "I love you, too, and taking a vacation alone would be really nice."

Just then, there was a knock at the door to their suite and Elijah walked in, leading Jax and the important members of Klaus' team: Katherine, Rebekah, Stefan, Kol, Henrik, and Hayley.

"Klaus, how are you?" Jax greeted him with a handshake.

"Doing well," Klaus answered, leading him to the large living room Elijah had deemed best for the interview to take place. "You?"

"Same," Jax nodded. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Klaus confirmed, taking a seat in the stuffed armchair.

Caroline stood between Rebekah and Kol and took a deep breath. "This is it."

Kol reached down to squeeze her hand gently. "It's going to be fine, Care. Better than that, actually. You'll get to walk beside him and hold his hand."

"People will stop calling you his PA," Stefan added, leaning over Rebekah.

"You can start wearing your wedding rings," Rebekah went on. "And take the vacation he's been planning for the last few weeks. Did he tell you?"

"He did," Caroline nodded. "I don't know where we're going though. Do you?"

"He should tell you," Stefan spoke up, shooting looks to his wife and brother-in-law. "He's worked so hard on this."

"Oh, all right," Rebekah whined, deflating at the thought of not getting to tell the surprise. "He looks nice."

"I picked his outfit," Caroline explained. "He wanted to wear another Henley but I told him no and put him in the sweater instead. It's chilly anyway."

"So, Klaus, you've been doing this for a long time now," Jax said as the interview began. "How'd it start?"

"Well, my mother gave me my first guitar when I was eight and I just taught myself to play," Klaus remembered. "My father wanted all of us to be businesspeople, but that was never in the cards for me. If I wasn't playing, I was painting or drawing. At twelve, I won a talent show in Leeds and was approached then by a record label, but Mother didn't think I was old enough, so I just kept playing for fun. And then, two years later, our parents died and I threw myself into making music my career so I could step up and take care of my family."

"Well, you've made your whole operation a family-run machine," Jax chuckled.

"We were very close growing up, so we've just kept it that way," Klaus shrugged. "Elijah knows me better than almost anyone, and he's got a law degree, so making him my manager was a no-brainer; he's very noble, so he keeps the professional and personal separate. No one knows clothes quite like Rebekah, so she was a natural choice for my stylist. Kol plays guitar nearly as well as I do, and he's the only one I trust to take care of our equipment—surprisingly—so he's lead guitar tech. Henrik is the youngest, just eighteen, and he's decided to take a gap-year before university, so he's helping out wherever we need him."

Jax nodded. "And Stefan Salvatore, your lead guitarist, is married to Rebekah, while Katherine Pierce, your tour manager, is married to Elijah. Is that everyone?"

Klaus looked across the room to lock eyes with Caroline. "Not exactly."

"What, is Kol married to your hair and makeup artist?" Jax joked.

"No, I'm not sure Kol will ever tie himself down to one woman," Klaus smirked. "No, my right-hand, Caroline Forbes, is also married to another member of the team."

"Oh, right," Jax said. "You mentioned writing 'Give Me Love' for her wedding. So, who is it? Marcel Gerard? Josh Rozsa?"

"Me," Klaus answered confidently. "Caroline and I have been married now for four years."

Silence filled the room at this admission. Jax stared at him for a long moment before turning to glance at Caroline, who just smiled nervously.

"Four years?" Jax exclaimed. "You've been married to a member of your team for four years and it's never leaked? How have you managed that?"

"Very carefully," Klaus laughed. "We got married at the Justice of the Peace and only the people in this room, as well as Marcel, Josh, and few others, have known all this time."

"Why hide it?" Jax wanted to know.

"Well, I live my life in a fishbowl and we agreed it would be best for me to adjust to that first before throwing her in," Klaus told him. "And then, she decided she preferred not being in the spotlight just for marrying me, so we kept it up. But it's been four years and I want to be able hold her hand when I walk out of this hotel for the show tomorrow."

"Wow," Jax breathed. "Well, would you mind if I ask her a few questions?"

Knowing it was a possibility, Klaus and Caroline had discussed that request.

"Sure," she agreed, walking over to sit on the arm of Klaus' chair. "Hi, Jax."

"Hi, Caroline," Jax grinned. "So you're married. In all the times we've met over the years, I never once would've guessed. No one would."

"One person did once," Caroline recalled, "but when she couldn't confirm it, she dropped it." She looked to Klaus. "You'll probably have to go on _Ellen_ for this."

"Ellen figured you out?" Jax asked.

"Yeah, when I went on her show last time, only Caroline went with me and often, when it's just the two of us, I sometimes tend to treat her like my wife and not someone working for me," Klaus explained. "I suppose I tripped up because Ellen saw me tuck Caroline's hair behind her ear and that got her suspicious."

"Well, that's his tell," Katherine spoke up.

"His tell?" Jax repeated.

"Yeah," Katherine nodded. "That's how Klaus shows her affection. He'll reach out to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear and he lets his hand linger on her cheek too long. We've told him before it would be their downfall, but he doesn't listen."

"I can't help it," Klaus shrugged. "With our marriage under wraps, I took every opportunity I could to touch her."

"So, how long have you been together?" Jax wanted to know. "How'd you meet to begin with?"

"Caroline is Katherine's best friend from the States," Klaus answered. "We first met when Katherine married Elijah seven years ago, but she joined our team a year later to help out Rebekah. When her organizational skills came to my attention, I stole her away from my sister and had her essentially take charge of my life. We worked so closely that one thing led to another and we started secretly dating."

"We didn't tell anyone for months," Caroline went on. "I was only twenty at the time and terrified that Kat or Elijah would think I was being unprofessional."

Jax looked to Elijah. "Did you?"

"Well, we didn't hire Caroline to start dating Niklaus, but I saw how happy she made him, so I overlooked it. Almost six years later, here we are. He's as successful as ever and so much of that is thanks to Caroline," Elijah complimented her.

Caroline beamed. Of everyone on Team Klaus, she was least close to Elijah, even though she loved her brother-in-law, so that was high praise.

"Do you two have wedding rings?" Jax wondered.

Klaus looked down at his hand. "We do, but I don't wear mine even when it's just us because it pinches on the guitar. She wears hers occasionally, but we got matching tattoos instead. He held up his wrist to show the lock and Caroline did the same to show her key."

Jax studied them. "Let me guess: she's the key to your heart?"

"Cheesy, we know, but it goes deeper than just being cute," Caroline said. "And honestly, we got them for us, not anyone else."

"Fair enough," Jax agreed. "Well, Caroline, it's been a pleasure to talk to you, but I'm sure you didn't plan for this, so you can return to what you were doing."

"Thanks," Caroline smiled, walking back over to join the others.

* * *

Because the interview was for a cover, the plan was for Jax to spend the day with Klaus and his team, so he joined Klaus, Caroline, Kol, and Henrik for gondola ride.

"This is almost date-like," Klaus teased as he helped Caroline into the boat. "You know, if my brothers and a journalist weren't here."

Caroline laughed. "We can pretend."

"Please don't," Kol begged. "I've seen you two when you think it's just the two of you and it's disgusting."

Henrik, who'd been texting on his phone, looked at the couple. "Do you think you guys will have an actual wedding now? I mean, I know it's been four years and stuff, but you could. Caroline never got to wear a wedding dress and you never had a honeymoon. You just signed some papers and then danced in the gazebo at Liz's house in Mystic Falls."

Klaus' ears perked up at mention of a 'honeymoon.' "You know, that might not be the worst idea, sweetheart. You do deserve an actual wedding."

"A wedding would be nice," Caroline agreed. "Something small, but so our friends and family could be there to see it. We could have it at the Lockwood Manor in Mystic Falls. I'm sure Tyler could convince his parents to let us."

"Hmm," Klaus thought. "The tour wraps at the beginning of February, so a wedding on our anniversary in March is completely doable."

"What about kids?" Jax wanted to know, now infinitely more interested in Klaus' personal life and the marriage bomb than his music. "Are they in the future?"

Klaus glanced at Caroline before answering. "I hope so. We've discussed it before, but it has to be the right time."

"Which is now," Kol jumped in. "Elijah and Katherine are workaholics, so they'll never have kids, but I actually like babies, so now is a good time for him to knock her up."

"Kol, we are in a boat," Caroline warned. "Don't make me push you out of it."

"Look, this isn't something I say very often, but Kol is right," Henrik spoke up. "I'd say it a little nicer, but it's true. The tour wraps in just under three months and then he's got a lot of time off. If Caroline were to get pregnant now, it's good timing. She won't be too far along to finish out to tour and then they've got so much time to take it easy. They'll be the best parents. When our parents died, and I lived with my grandparents, they were elderly, you know? Nik was there for me all the time. He's ten years older, but he helped raise me. Their kids will be lucky."

Caroline nudged Henrik's knee with her own and smiled. "Thanks, Hen."

"Clearly, over the years, your music has been influenced by Caroline," Jax went on a bit later. "Any favorite songs about her?"

"I should preface by saying not all of my songs are about me or us," Klaus chuckled. For instance, 'Drunk is about Kol and 'Sunburn was about a woman Marcel had dated. But yes, I particularly like 'Give Me Love,' which we danced to when we got married, and 'Thinking Out Loud,' which is new."

"Oh, 'Drunk,'" Caroline murmured. "That's about Bonnie."

"Bonnie?" Jax repeated.

"The one who got away," Klaus joked. "When I said earlier that Kol would never tie himself down, it's because the only girl he ever wanted to tie himself to broke his heart."

"Klaus," Caroline whispered. "Don't go there. That's about them."

"Sorry," Klaus apologized.

"Wow," Jax murmured in awe. "Klaus, you have this reputation for being tough to break, but seeing you around Caroline, you're a puppy."

Klaus shrugged. "I love my wife and I'd throw myself in front of a train for her. She's given up a lot for me, so I just aim to make her happy. That's my priority. Like I told her this morning, if all this goes away tomorrow, but I still have her, I'll be just fine."

* * *

That night, after Jax had left with the promise of writing something spectacular, Klaus and Caroline were sitting in Elijah and Katherine's room eating dinner when Elijah's phone started going wild.

"It's out," Katherine knew.

"Tomorrow, everything changes," Caroline said, looking to her husband.

He reached for her hand. "I'm ready."


	3. Chapter 3

**So I got a lot of requests for a flashback to when Klaus and Caroline first met, so here it is. I wanted them to have a connection when they first met that would make things more uncomfortable when she starts working for him later because she's conflicted between having feelings and being professional. It's in italics because it's a flashback to seven years before the present, but the song, "Tenerife Sea," is bolded. As always, let me know what you'd like to read next. I'm glad you guys are liking this series; I love reading your feedback, so keep it coming. Thanks! **

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

_"Who's the blonde goddess?" Kol murmured to Klaus as they stood at the bar, surveying the rehearsal dinner crowd._

_"Caroline something," Klaus remembered. "She's Kat's best friend and maid of honor."_

_"Not the twin sister?" Kol wondered, eyeing Katherine's sweet, younger-by-six-minutes sister across the room. "Odd."_

_"Katherine isn't very close to her family," Klaus shrugged. "She doesn't even use her legal last name; she goes by 'Pierce,' which is her paternal grandmother's maiden name, but she's actually a 'Gilbert' by birth. Hell, her real name is 'Katerina;' that's why we call her Kat."_

_Kol shrugged. "She's certainly the type to do such a thing. Will she take our name?"_

_"I don't think so," Klaus shook his head. "She likes being Katherine Pierce, so I guess it'll stick."_

_"Back to the blonde," Kol said, switching gears. "Have you met her?"_

_"No," Klaus denied. "Elijah just mentioned her briefly. She is lovely, though."_

_"I think I'll introduce myself," Kol smirked, heading in Caroline's direction._

_Knowing his brother was about to make an ass of himself, Klaus followed._

_"Hello, darling," Kol greeted her smoothly. "Kol Mikaelson, Elijah's younger brother."_

_Caroline eyed him before offering her hand. "Caroline Forbes, Katherine's best friend. Klaus, right?" she said to the blonde brother._

_"Yes, that's right," he confirmed. "It's nice to meet you, Caroline."_

_"Katherine played me some of your music," she told him. "It's really good. She said you just signed a record deal? That's amazing."_

_"Thank you," he accepted, feeling his ears heat up by her compliment. "What do you do?"_

_"I go to UVA," she answered. "I've been studying drama, but I think I'm going to switch to public relations."_

_"You could be a spokesmodel," Kol offered. "You've got quite the face for it."_

_Klaus rolled his eyes at his brother's unoriginality. "Oh, Jesus."_

_Caroline laughed. "Katherine has told me all about you, so you won't faze me."_

_"We'll see about that," Kol murmured, stalking away, upset his reputation was preceding him._

_"Sorry about him," Klaus apologized._

_"It's okay," Caroline assured him. "So will you be playing at the wedding? Kat said she'd asked but you were playing hard to get."_

_"Oh, I don't know," he shrugged noncommittally. "I guess my reservation is that it's a big deal to perform at a wedding, especially Katherine and Elijah's, and I don't want to screw it up."_

_"You just signed a record deal!" she reminded him. "If you were the type to screw it up, whatever label you signed with wouldn't have signed you. Like I said, I listened to your music and it's good. I have great taste, so you should trust me."_

_He chuckled. "Is that so?"_

* * *

_"Would you look at that?" Katherine said to Elijah as they watched Klaus and Caroline talking and laughing together. "I'm not sure I've ever seen Klaus laugh."_

_"Not in a long time," Elijah agreed. "Not since Tatia."_

_Katherine shuddered. "Please, do not mention her. I only met her once and she was vile. And that's coming from me."_

_He smiled. "You're not vile, Katerina; you're perfect."_

_"Now _that's_ vile," she teased. "Ooh, think she can convince him to sing tomorrow? He does seem enamored with her."_

_"I suppose we'll find out in the morning," Elijah replied. "Come, let's speak with my aunt."_

* * *

_"Excuse me, may I borrow Caroline for a moment?" Klaus asked later in the evening when he approached the group Caroline was entertaining. "It's wedding stuff."_

_Caroline excused herself from Katherine's cousins and followed him to a corner of the room. "What's up?"_

_"Well, I have this song," he began, "and I was thinking I could play it tomorrow, but no one has ever heard it. Would you mind listening to it? The first time I play a song is always the worst, so I need to get it out of my system."_

_"Sure," she agreed. "Do you have your guitar?"_

_"I sent Henrik upstairs for it," he said, referring to the eleven-year-old who worshipped him._

_When Henrik returned with the instrument, Klaus ushered Caroline to a smaller room off the event space in the hotel the rehearsal dinner was being held in._

_"Okay, so it doesn't have a title yet, but I did write with Kat and Elijah in mind, so here goes," he muttered, beginning to strum._

**_You look so wonderful in your dress_**

**_I love your hair like that_**

**_The way it falls on the side of your neck_**

**_Down your shoulders and back_**

**_We are surrounded by all of these lies_**

**_And people who talk too much_**

**_You got the kind of look in your eyes_**

**_As if no one knows anything but us_**

**_Should this be the last thing I see_**

**_I want you to know it's enough for me_**

**_'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_**

**_I'm so in love, so in love_**

**_So in love, so in love_**

**_You look so beautiful in this light_**

**_Your silhouette over me_**

**_The way it brings out the blue in your eyes_**

**_Is the Tenerife Sea_**

**_And all of the voices surrounding us here_**

**_They just fade out when you take a breath_**

**_Just say the word and I will disappear_**

**_Into the wilderness_**

**_Should this be the last thing I see_**

**_I want you to know it's enough for me_**

**_'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_**

**_I'm so in love, so in love_**

**_So in love, so in love_**

**[6x:]**

**_Lumière, darling_**

**_Lumière over me_**

**_Should this be the last thing I see_**

**_I want you to know it's enough for me_**

**_'Cause all that you are is all that I'll ever need_**

**_I'm so in love, so in love_**

**_So in love, love, love, love,_**

**_So in love_**

**_You look so wonderful in your dress_**

**_I love your hair like that_**

**_And in a moment I knew you best_**

_"Wow," Caroline breathed when he finished. "That's beautiful. You have to play that tomorrow."_

_"Yeah?" Klaus mused. "It's not bad?"_

_"Bad?" she repeated. "If I weren't so afraid of screwing up my false eyelashes, I'd be crying."_

_"All right then," he grinned. "I'll let Elijah know. Thank you, Caroline." He reached out a hand to help her up from the chair she'd been sat in._

_The spark that shot through Caroline when their hands touched sent shivers down her spine. Their eyes locked and for a brief moment, she was sure he was going to kiss her._

_"Nik?" Henrik called into the room then. "Elijah needs you to say goodnight to Aunt Beatrice."_

_"Right," Klaus breathed, backing away from Caroline. "Thank you again, love, for your help."_

_"Sure," she whispered as he walked away after his little brother. "Hey, Klaus?" she called to him._

_"Yes?" he turned around._

_"'Tenerife Sea,'" she told him. "That's what you should call it. It's memorable."_

_He smirked. "Goodnight, Caroline."_

_"Goodnight," she murmured._

* * *

_The following morning, Katherine burst into Caroline's room of the bridal suite the Gilbert's had rented in the hotel and jumped on the blonde's bed. "How did you do it?"_

_"Do what?" Caroline grumbled, pulling her pillow over her head. "Kat, go the fuck away."_

_"Kol just text me and said Klaus has agreed to perform our first dance song," Katherine reported. "I know you convinced him. What did you say? Cause we've been asking for months and he refused."_

_"I didn't say anything special," Caroline recalled. "I just said he was good enough."_

_"Bingo," Katherine nodded softly. "That's it then. Klaus has severe insecurities about never being good enough—that's a story for another time—but hearing it from a complete stranger, a particularly beautiful one, must've done it."_

_Caroline sat up, knowing her best friend would be too wired to leave her alone now. "It's barely six AM. The hair stylists and makeup artists won't be here for another two hours."_

_"Can we just watch a movie?" Katherine requested. "This could be the last time you and I ever really get to do this; we leave for London two days after we get back from the honeymoon."_

_"Okay," Caroline acquiesced, scooting over so Katherine could join her in the bed. "Grab the remote."_

_After flipping through channels, the girls settled on Jawbreaker as it was just starting._

_"This is so not a wedding day movie," Katherine laughed._

_"No, but we used to watch this all the time in middle school, so it's appropriate," Caroline reasoned._

_"And Saint Elena would tell us it was immature and tacky," Katherine added with a roll of her eyes._

_"Don't," Caroline shook her head. "She's your sister and my friend."_

_"Yeah, yeah," Katherine groaned. "So, what else did you and Klaus do last night? You spent most of it together."_

_"Nothing," Caroline shrugged. "We just talked."_

_Katherine eyed her. "Klaus doesn't 'just talk' to just anyone, Care. He's very guarded."_

_"What was her name?" Caroline joked. "Anytime a guy is 'very guarded,' it's because some girl screwed him."_

_"Tatia," Katherine sneered. "She was a viper in designer clothing. They were still together when Elijah and I started dating and then she destroyed him by sleeping with his old guitarist. That's why he still needs a new one."_

_"What about Stefan?" Caroline suggested, referring to their longtime friend. "He's a really good guitarist."_

_"It's a hobby for him," Katherine pointed out. "He's going to med school."_

_"Because Giuseppe wants him to," Caroline shot back. "Damon is a loser, so their dad has to put everything into Stefan and he's too nice to say no. He'd much rather make music."_

_"Well, you do know him better," Katherine sighed. "I mostly just slept with him."_

_"As kids," Caroline teased._

_"_Consenting_ 15-year-olds," Katherine corrected. "Not kids."_

_"And now, here you are, getting married at twenty," Caroline went on, "to a twenty-five-year-old Brit that you've known a year."_

_"Ooh, taking a page from Bon-Bon's book and judging?" Katherine mused. "You like Elijah."_

_"I do," Caroline agreed, "and he's done wonders for you."_

_"He's the best," Katherine said quietly, a rare warmth in her tone. "I wasn't a good person before I met him."_

_Caroline side-eyed her. "Are you saying you are now?"_

_The bride elbowed her. "I'm saying I'm better."_

_"True," Caroline chuckled. "I loved you then and I love you now; that's never gonna change, Kat."_

_Katherine reached for the blonde's hand. "I love you, too, princess. And after last night, my soon-to-be brother-in-law might, as well."_

_"Stop," Caroline blushed. "He's about to become a music superstar. I spend my days analyzing Shakespearean monologues. We're different."_

_"But really, you aren't," Katherine denied. "You're both stubborn and bossy. You like to get your own way. And you're damaged."_

_"I'm damaged?!" Caroline cried._

_"Duh," Katherine scoffed. "Your dad left your family for a man when you were twelve and your mom works more than humanly possible. You're mostly alone and that's jaded you. Klaus has a few skeletons of his own." She sighed. Look, all I'm saying is that you're not so different. You were also both viciously cheated on."_

_"Stop," Caroline demanded quickly. "We aren't going there and I'm not getting involved with Klaus."_

_That evening, after the—beautiful—ceremony, Klaus nervously made his way to the stage to perform for Elijah and Katherine's first dance._

_"Uh, hello," he said into the microphone as he sat down on a lone stool. "For those of you who don't know, my name is Klaus, and I'm Elijah's brother. I um, wrote this song for the couple to dance their first dance to." He locked eyes with Caroline in the crowd. "It's called 'Tenerife Sea,' and I hope you two enjoy it. Congrats."_

_Caroline smiled as Klaus began to play and the newlyweds danced. She'd known Katherine most of her life; she lived next-door to Katherine's uncle John, so they grew up together, despite the Gilbert twins being a year older. And while Caroline loved Elena dearly, she'd always been drawn to Katherine. The girl knew how to get things done and her ferocity was something to envy. Besides, Elena had Bonnie and the two of them were a little too self-obsessed and boring, respectively, in Caroline's opinion._

* * *

_"He's going to be huge," Katherine stated as the song neared its end. "You'll have to keep an eye on him, Elijah. He's new, so he'll be taken advantage of."_

_"Niklaus? Taken advantage of?" Elijah laughed softly. "If anything, he takes advantage. And he does it with aplomb."_

_Katherine sighed. "Well, he's a sociopath."_

_"Welcome to the family, Katerina," he teased, leaning down to kiss her._

* * *

_"How'd she meet him?" a familiar male voice asked from behind Caroline._

_She froze before turning to see Tyler Lockwood standing behind her, still as perfectly chiseled as she remembered._

_"Um, she spent a semester in London and they met in a bookstore," Caroline muttered nervously. "I didn't know you were coming."_

_"Missed the ceremony," he explained, "but my mom would've killed me if I missed the reception. Dad is up for reelection this year so they're campaigning. I can't believe Miranda Gilbert is running against him. I guess Richard can't count on your vote this year, huh?"_

_"Probably not," she denied. "Sorry."_

_He laughed. "It's okay. So how have you been, Care? It's been a while."_

_"Uh-huh," she murmured. "I'm good. School is going well. You? How's Texas?"_

_"It's great," Tyler replied. "Football season was awesome this year."_

_"Yeah, your mother mentioned your team won some big game at the end," she nodded, knowing full well they'd won the Rose Bowl._

_Tyler scoffed but said nothing. "So are you seeing anyone these days?"_

_"Uhh, I haven—,"_

_"Caroline?" Klaus spoke up, swooping in to save her. "I've been looking everywhere for you, love. You owe me a dance."_

_"Right," she sighed in relief. "Um, Klaus Mikaelson, this is Tyler Lockwood. Tyler, Klaus. Klaus is Elijah's brother."_

_"I heard," Tyler confirmed. "Nice song. You're not bad."_

_Klaus gave a tight-lipped nod. "Thanks. Caroline, shall we?" He offered her his arm._

_"Bye, Tyler," she said over her shoulder as Klaus led her away. "Oh, my God, thank you."_

_"You're welcome," he smiled, taking her into his arms as 'One and Only' by Adele played through the speakers. "May I ask who he is? I sensed a little hostility."_

_"Tyler and I dated all through high school," she told him._

_Klaus grinned. "Let me guess: star quarterback and head cheerleader?"_

_"Wide receiver," she corrected, "but yes. He was charming and sweet through junior year, but then senior year came and he became a super douche. Anger management issues run in his family and they manifested that year. I stuck it out though because I loved him and despite his behavior, he still treated me pretty well. Until I found out he cheated on me the morning of graduation. Four years down the drain for a slutty sophomore from our rival school." She bit her lip. "I'm boring you, aren't I?"_

_"No," Klaus shook his head. "He's clearly an idiot."_

_"No, he's still pretty much perfect," she grumbled, looking to where Tyler was laughing with Katherine's brother, Jeremy. "Starting wide receiver for a championship college team, First Son of Mystic Falls, and works a suit better than anyone." She glanced back at Klaus. "Almost."_

_"Anyone who allows you to get away is an imbecile," he assured her. "He'll figure that out someday, I promise."_

_Caroline blushed. "Thanks."_

* * *

_Caroline spent most of the night with Klaus and siblings, getting to know her best friend's new family. She liked them. Their parents had died years before, but they stuck together like glue. Caroline envied that; her parents all but ignored her and she was an only child, so she liked the closeness of the Mikaelson family._

_"You should come to London sometime," Elijah's sister, Rebekah, offered to Caroline as the night was winding down. "I mean, Katherine is moving there now, so you have reason to visit."_

_"Sure," Caroline agreed. "That would be nice."_

_"Nik would like it, too," Rebekah went on. "He's quite taken with you, Caroline."_

_"He's nice," Caroline mumbled, unsure of how to respond. "And he's going to be really successful with his music; I can tell."_

_"I hope so," Rebekah said. "He's worked really hard and it's all he does. That and paint or draw. He's very artistic."_

_"So is Caroline," Stefan spoke up as he joined the two girls. "She's studying drama."_

_"Oh, wow," Rebekah breathed, suddenly nervous. "That's great."_

_"Rebekah, right?" Stefan asked. "Stefan Salvatore; I grew up with Kat and Caroline. I'm sorry I didn't get to introduce myself earlier."_

_"That's okay," Rebekah smiled brightly, tossing her curls over her shoulder._

_While they talked, Caroline excused herself to start packing away gifts. It was supposed to be Katherine's parents' job, but while she loved Grayson and Miranda, she couldn't leave it to chance._

_"So, we're leaving now," Klaus told her as he leaned against the gift table. "I have to get Henrik up to bed because we're on an early flight in the morning."_

_"Oh?" she mused, trying to contain her sadness. "Okay, well, it's been really nice getting to know you, Klaus."_

_"Please, call me Nik," he requested. "It was lovely meeting you, Caroline. I thought Mystic Falls would be terrible, but you made it a little less so."_

_She laughed. "Well, I'm glad to have been of service."_

_He stepped forward. "If you're ever in the UK—visiting Katherine, of course—let me know." With a soft kiss to her cheek, he backed away and disappeared through a side door of the hotel ballroom._

* * *

**_One year later...__  
_**

_"Everyone, I want you to meet my new assistant," Rebekah announced to the tour crew. "This is Caroline Forbes; she's Kat's best friend from home and she'll be working with us this summer."_

_Klaus, who'd been checking emails from his publicist, looked up at mention of the blonde who'd plagued him for the last eleven months and twenty-six days, but who was counting?_

_He stood up from his seat backstage. "Hello, Caroline."_

_"Hi, Klaus," she beamed._

_He shook his head._

_"Nik," she corrected herself. "Hi, Nik."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so this chapter jumps around a bit because I'm trying to get back to present time, but you all requested various flashback stuff, so I'm going through it now. The next chapter will be flashbacks, and that should be it for those. Scenes are broken up by when they happened in time. I thought "Latch" was a good song for how Klaus uses it. As always, you're all lovely people and please continue letting me know what you think and what you would like to see. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

_"Why was I not informed of Caroline being hired?" Klaus asked Elijah as the brothers sat down to talk with Klaus' visiting agent, Aaron Silver._

_"You didn't need to be," Elijah replied. "Rebekah needed help and Katerina said Caroline has an eye for clothing, and since she's on summer break from school, it made sense. I couldn't say no because she's my wife's best friend and Katerina misses her." He eyed his brother. "Does it upset you? You and Caroline seemed to get on quite well at the wedding."_

_"It's fine," Klaus shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. "Rebekah does need assistance, and I'd prefer it's someone we know."_

_There was a knock at the door then and Caroline stood before them._

_"I'm sorry," she apologized. "Um, Mr. Silver is in the wardrobe room, arguing with Stefan."_

_"Oh, shit," Elijah muttered, jumping up to hurry to the wardrobe room._

_Caroline watched in shock as the usually calm Elijah raced away._

_"What's that about?" Caroline asked, suddenly realizing she was alone with Klaus for the first time since being hired. "Elijah never cusses."_

_"Aaron inappropriately hits on Rebekah all the time," Klaus explained. "He's actually happily married, but he knows it burns Stefan's ass, so he still does it."_

_"So things are going well with Stefan and Rebekah then?" Caroline asked._

_"Yes," Klaus confirmed. "Katherine also said you were the first to suggest him as my guitarist and he's excellent, so thank you."_

_"You're welcome," she shrugged. "Kat said you needed a guitarist and Stefan hated being pre-med, so it made sense. I'm glad he's working out."_

_"Sit," Klaus suggested, gesturing to the chair Elijah had abandoned. "How have you been? It's good to see you."_

_"I'm doing well," she replied. "School is going well now that I've switched to public relations. I'm dramatic enough on my own without studying it."_

_He chuckled. "I think you'll be excellent at PR. I saw how you were at the wedding. You handled everything very well."_

_"Thanks," she murmured. "So how are you? Obviously good, seeing as you're on major tour already, but still."_

_"I'm all right," he shrugged. "Adjusting, I suppose. I didn't grow up wanting the spotlight, so it can be overwhelming at times. It's nice having my family surrounding me."_

_"They're your entire crew," she laughed. "Elijah is your manager, Kat is managing the tour, Rebekah does wardrobe, and Kol is your guitar tech."_

_"Stefan has also become a close friend, so my band are my best mates," he added. "Henrik is dying to join us, but he has to finish school first. He begs for a tutor to travel with him."_

_"I get that," Caroline shrugged. "All of his siblings are traveling together and working on your music and he feels left out. He's already the youngest by quite a bit."_

_"I know," Klaus sighed. "I just don't trust some random person coming along to tutor him. To me, Henrik will always be a boy I need to take care of. He's just twelve."_

_Caroline nodded. "I get that, too. But it is summer now, so maybe he could come for a little while?"_

_"We've discussed that," Klaus sighed. "Tour life is hardly the place for a twelve-year-old. I'd want a bodyguard specifically just for him."_

_"So get him one," Caroline suggested. "Just don't keep him away because you think this life is chaotic. He'll have you guys around to keep him in line."_

_Klaus nodded. "I'll talk to Elijah and Kol about it later. So, wardrobe?"_

_"Yeah," she grinned. "I love clothes and Kat was saying Rebekah was overwhelmed, so I jokingly offered to help out while I'm on summer break, and here I am."_

_"Well, I appreciate it," he assured her. "I like having as many familiar faces around as I can."_

_"I'm happy to help," she beamed, checking her watch. "And right now, that means I need to go find your sister."_

_"Sure," he nodded. "I'll see you later, Caroline."_

_"Bye, Nik," she replied as she left the room._

* * *

_"Has anyone seen my phone?!" Klaus yelled as he walked around backstage two weeks later, tearing through everything. "It has my schedule and I can't find it."_

_Henrik looked up from his handheld gaming device. "I haven't."_

_"Did you check all your pockets?" Rebekah suggested. "That jacket has several."_

_"Yes, Bekah, I checked all my pockets," he sneered._

_"Sorry," she grumbled._

_"What's going on?" Caroline whispered as she approached the female Mikaelson._

_"Nik has lost his phone," Rebekah explained. "It has his weekly schedule, and since Elijah is away, he doesn't know anything."_

_"Oh," Caroline said. "Hey, Nik?"_

_"What?" he snapped, turning to her. "I'm sorry. Yes?"_

_"Um, your phone is in your guitar case," Caroline told him. "I saw it lying around near the stage and didn't want anyone to screw with it, so I stuck it in there about an hour ago. I tried to find you, but you were rehearsing. And as for your schedule, you call Ryan Seacrest on Tuesday, have a photo shoot with GQ on Wednesday, and a performance for BBC Music on Friday."_

_Klaus stared at her. "How do you know all that?"_

_"Oh, well, I'm very organized," she shrugged, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. "And when I hear something that seems important, I store it away in case someone else needs it later."_

_"Caroline, you are no longer required for Rebekah's services," he declared._

_Her face fell. "What? Is it because I know your schedule? I wasn't trying to impose; I just rememb—,"_

_"I'd like you to work with me personally," he explained. "I'll get Bekah the help she needs, but I need someone who works at my side, keeping me in line and taking care of the day-to-day things that Elijah is too busy for. It would be a significant pay raise."_

_"What about school? I go back in just over a month," she reminded him._

_"Oh, right," he remembered. "Well, it will be your summer job then. When you finish again next May, you'll return."_

_"So you're taking away my assistant to make her yours?" Rebekah demanded. "I don't think so."_

_Caroline frowned at Rebekah. "I love clothes, Bek, but this job isn't for me. Keeping track of various pairs of Tom Ford jeans just doesn't do it for me. I think I'm gonna take Nik up on his offer here."_

_"Oh, fine," Rebekah grumbled. "Josh said he has a friend named Davina who would be a good costume assistant."_

_"Caroline, come with me," Klaus requested. "Elijah left behind my travel paperwork and I've made a real mess of it."_

_"All right," she agreed. "See you later, Rebekah."_

_"Uh-huh," Rebekah murmured, already focused on sewing a pair of pants Marcel had ripped._

_Klaus reached for Caroline's hand and pulled her down the long hallway of the arena he was performing in that night, trying not to think about the warmth that spread through his entire body at the softness of her skin._

_"Your room is cleaner than I expected it to be," she noticed once inside. "Boys tend to be messy."_

_"I can be," he assured her. "You should see my studio back home in London. I suppose I just never quite have enough time around these places to do much."_

_"When will Elijah return?" Caroline wondered as she sat down to sort through his travel papers._

_"Tomorrow," he explained. "I usually feel like he's babysitting me all the time and yet, when he's gone, I fall apart." He shot her a look. "Don't tell him I said that."_

_She made the motion of zipping her lips and throwing away the key. "Tell him what?"_

_He grinned. "Thank you for coming with me. I'll have to come up with an appropriate title; I don't like 'personal assistant' as you'll be so much more than that. It will get to the point where I can't function without having you next to me."_

_"So I'll basically be your right-hand," she joked._

_"Yes," he confirmed. "Caroline Forbes, my right-hand. I like it. It sounds more important than assistant."_

_"How do you know that's what I'll be?" she wondered._

_He eyed her. "I just do."_

* * *

_"Great show tonight," Caroline complimented Klaus as they made their way into his London home late Thursday night near the end of her first summer with his team. "Your best I've seen yet."_

_"Thank you," he murmured. "I like performing at home best. There's an energy in the air that's palpable."_

_"There was," she agreed, stifling a yawn._

_"You're tired," he noticed. "I really appreciate everything, but you're welcome to return to the hotel if you'd like."_

_Caroline bit her lip. "I will soon, but this is technically my last day on the job, so I wanted to make sure everything was tied up."_

_Klaus, who'd been bending over his guitar case, shot up. "Last day?"_

_"I start my junior year on Monday," she reminded him. "I sort of have to be in Virginia for that."_

_"Right," he breathed. "But we've been working so much lately that I haven't even considered that summer was just about over and you'd leave."_

_"I'll be back in nine months," she pointed out._

_"That's too long," he whispered._

_"Nik," she warned. "We've talked about this. I'm not giving up school for this."_

_"No, I understand," Klaus nodded. "It's just, I've become so used to having you here." He laughed humorlessly. "You've become my best friend."_

_Caroline softened at his admission. "I know. Don't tell Katherine or Stefan, but you're mine, too."_

_"Can I persuade you to leave Saturday morning?" he asked suddenly. "I'll pay the exchange fee on your ticket. I just want one day with you without any work obligations."_

_"Okay," she nodded. "I think I can manage that. What are we going to do?"_

_"You'll have to wait and see," he smirked, already planning in his head. "If you'd like, you can sleep in my spare room tonight and I'll have Quinn bring your things over from the hotel. That way we can wrap stuff up and you won't be getting back so late."_

_"Sure," she yawned. "I did want to organize your studio."_

_"No!" he cried quickly. "Um, no need. I like it a particular way."_

_Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's suspicious."_

_"I promise," Klaus told her. "It's fine."_

_"Okay," she murmured, knowing she shouldn't believe him. "Well, then I don't know what you want me to do."_

_"Just hang out," he requested. "Let's watch a film. We've had so little time to just be lately. I've officially decided you're on hiatus until May now; no more work."_

_"Fine," she grumbled. "What are we watching?"_

_He smirked. "You know what."_

_She thought for a moment before frowning. "Oh, man. Fight Club?"_

_"Yes," Klaus confirmed, leading her to his bedroom. "We have to watch it in here; this is my only television."_

_"Why?" she complained, kicking off her shoes to crawl into his bed._

_"I'm here so infrequently," he shrugged. "These days, it's mostly just to sleep, so I watch just a little television in here before bed."_

_Caroline got under the warm duvet and settled back onto a pillow. "This is a nice bed."_

_"I like it, as well," he agreed, lying down next to her._

_Much to her surprise, Caroline liked the movie. It was smart and intriguing and starred two beautiful men. Klaus was smug throughout the entire thing, knowing she liked it._

_"What?!" she cried at the end. "Edward Norton is Tyler Durden?! This movie just became a serious mind-fuck."_

_"That's what makes it so good," he argued, stifling a yawn himself now._

_Caroline rolled her eyes. "Just give me the remote so you can go to bed."_

_He did as told. "I've set my alarm for eight because I've got a full day for us before you abandon me on Saturday."_

_"Don't," she murmured. "You're making me feel bad for wanting an education."_

_"I'm sorry," he grumbled. "It's just, I don't take to people so quickly, but I already feel like I've known you my entire life." He rolled over to lie on his side to face her. "Do you promise you'll come back?"_

_She held up her left hand. "I pinky promise."_

_Klaus linked his right pinky with hers. "I'll hold you to it."_

_Caroline woke up before him in the morning, so she carefully slid out of bed and went in search of a bathroom, as he didn't have one connected to his bedroom._

_The door closest to his bedroom door seemed the most reasonable, so she pushed it open and stopped in shock. Caroline had discovered Klaus' studio and it was a disaster zone. Paints and easels and brushes littered every open surface. Sketches stuck out of every nook and cranny. She so desperately wanted to go in and look around, but she thought back to his adamant refusal for her to clean it, so she reluctantly backed out and continued her search._

_"Good morning," he greeted her an hour later, finding her downstairs in his kitchen, drinking coffee and reading the London Times. "Would you like some breakfast?"_

_"I was thinking we could just pick something up while we're out?" she suggested._

_"All right," he agreed. "Well, Quinn text me to say your things are in the closet in the foyer, so why don't you get ready and I'll meet you back here in thirty minutes?"_

_"Okay," Caroline nodded. "I wanted to call Kat anyways."_

_Moments later, Katherine answered her phone. "Where the hell have you been?"_

_"I stayed at Nik's," Caroline explained. "I dropped him off last night and we fell asleep after watching Fight Club."_

_Katherine let that sink in. "You slept in his bed?"_

_"It was harmless," Caroline blushed. "He's wanted me to watch it, so we did."_

_"What time is your flight?" Katherine asked suddenly, checking her watch._

_"Tomorrow now," Caroline replied. "He asked me to hang out today so he paid the exchange fee."_

_"Care," Katherine warned. "Don't get too close to him. He's technically your boss and you're going back to the States for nine months."_

_"I know that, Katherine," the blonde sighed. "I'd never breach my professionalism like that."_

_"No, I don't really care about that," Katherine assured her. "Elijah would, but not me. I'm concerned that you fall too easily and he'll break your heart."_

_Caroline frowned. "Would you stop? The tour is over so now you've got plenty of time to just be a wife. Go do that."_

_"Oh, that does sound nice," Katherine sighed as Elijah emerged from their master closet, dressed—as always—in an impeccable Dior suit. "Goodbye, Caroline."_

_Caroline ended the call and hurried to the guest bathroom to get dressed. After digging through her bags, she decided on a pair of denim cut-off shorts, a thin sea green sweater, and her favorite brown flats. She pulled her hair up into an artfully messy topknot and applied light makeup. With a deep breath, she walked back to the foyer and found Klaus waiting, dressing in simple jeans and a white Henley._

_"Ready?" he smiled._

_"Yep," she confirmed, grabbing her purse from the table before following him out the door. "No Quinn?" she realized, referring to his bodyguard._

_"Not today," he denied. "I think we'll be okay without him. I just wanted to hang out."_

_She grinned. "Where to first?"_

_"Kensington Gardens," he reported._

_"Ooh, maybe we'll see Prince William," she joked. "And his girlfriend. What's her name?"_

_"Catherine Middleton," Klaus recalled, "but I imagine they'd spend more time at Clarence House, where he lives. No one exciting lives at Kensington right now."_

_She pouted. "Boo. Well, what's at Kensington Gardens then?"_

_"You'll see," he murmured, leading her in the direction of the famed park._

_Fifteen minutes later, the pair arrived and he guided her to his favorite spot in the park—the Peter Pan statue by George Frampton._

_"Peter Pan, huh?" she mused. "I wish this surprised me, but of course you'd relate to the boy who didn't want to grow up."_

_He shook his head as he sat down on a bench nearby, waiting for her to sit beside him before he spoke. "I used to come here as a child when my father was in a bad mood. Mikael's bad moods usually meant I was going to be beaten."_

_Caroline felt her heart plummet. "Beaten?"_

_"I was his favorite punching bag," he admitted. "It's the only time he ever actually wanted me around."_

_"Why?" she breathed, reaching for his hand._

_He cleared his throat. "Mikael Mikaelson wasn't my biological father. He adopted me upon my birth, but I am not his son. My mother had an affair with an artist she met in Paris while Mikael was away in Japan on a two-month-long business trip and I'm the product of that affair. She tried to keep it from Mikael, but once the date of my conception was figured out, he knew. His revenge was to accept me as his own publicly, but never let me forget I was an outsider privately." He tilted his head and pointed to a small scar just under his left ear. "This is from a broken tumbler he threw at me when I was eleven."_

_"Oh, my God," she whispered. "Nik, that's awful. I'm so sorry."_

_"It made me who I am," he shrugged. "But I used to run away from home after bouts with Mikael and I always ended up here. I envied Peter and the Lost Boys; they lived in Neverland with no parents."_

_"What about your mother?" she asked. "How could she let him treat you so poorly? It was her fault it all happened."_

_"She was terrified of him," Klaus told her. "Esther thrived on being important and having power, and being married to Mikael gave that to her. She knew if she defended me, he'd leave her, so she made her choice. Elijah tried to fight him off, but Mikael was too strong and I refused to allow my brother to take a beating for me." He sighed. "I was happy when he died. Henrik was just a small child, but I was so pleased he was gone. Does that make me a bad person?"_

_"No," Caroline denied. "He was a monster. You were all better off without him."_

_"I suppose," he sighed. "Henrik doesn't know about any of this. He was shielded from it before they died, and I made the executive decision to shield him as he's grown up. He doesn't need to know."_

_Caroline wasn't sure what to say, so she looked back to the statue. "My dad left my family for a man when I was twelve, and I hated him for it. I was a kid, so I didn't understand it all. All I knew was that my dad was abandoning us for a guy who sold houses. My outlet for my anger was to read. I lost myself in stories because they all seemed so much better than my life. I envied Kat and Elena because they had parents who were head over heels in love and always would be. Part of me is jealous of Katherine and Elijah now because I know they'll last."_

_"What about your father now?" Klaus wanted to know._

_"He's great," she smiled softly. "Stephen, his husband, is a really nice guy, and they adopted a little girl named Lily when I was sixteen. But it took me a long, long time to forgive him. When he left, my mom threw herself into her work and I felt abandoned. That relationship took a long time to rectify, too. No one's life is perfect, Nik. We just have to learn how to move on from the shit."_

_"You're right," he agreed, pleased she understood him so well. "I'm happy now, so I consider that a victory."_

_"You should," she beamed. "Despite Mikael, you're a major success. You should be proud."_

_They sat and talked on the bench for another hour before deciding to head out for brunch. For Klaus, it was the easiest thing in the world, to hang out with Caroline. She was brilliant and beautiful and everything he could ever want in a girl. He knew, however, that she was too focused on school to take a chance with him yet._

_"Well, today was really nice," she admitted late that night when their big day was over._

_"Um, will you come back to mine for just a bit?" he requested nervously. "I need to show you something before you leave."_

_"Sure," she agreed as they headed back towards his townhouse. "Is everything okay?"_

_"Yes," he assured her._

_They walked in silence to his place and by the time they arrived, Caroline was terrified. They'd had such a good day, having brunch and then seeing a concert at Hyde Park, and now everything was really tense._

_"So, I have this new song and I want you to be the first person to hear it," Klaus explained, ushering her into his music room._

_"Oh," she breathed, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders. "Cool."_

_He sat down at his piano and waited until Caroline was sitting on the couch before he started._

**_You lift my heart up when the rest of me is down_**

**_You, you enchant me even when you're not around_**

**_If there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down_**

**_I'm latching on, babe, now I know what I have found_**

**_I feel we're close enough_**

**_Could I lock in your love?_**

**_I feel we're close enough_**

**_Could I lock in your love?_**

**_Now I've got you in my space_**

**_I won't let go of you_**

**_Got you shackled in my embrace_**

**_I'm latching on to you_**

**_I'm so en-captured, got me wrapped up in your touch_**

**_Feel so enamored, hold me tight within your clutch_**

**_How do you do it? You got me losing every breath_**

**_What did you give me to make my heart bleed out my chest?_**

**_I feel we're close enough_**

**_Could I lock in your love?_**

**_I feel we're close enough_**

**_Could I lock in your love?_**

**_Now I've got you in my space_**

**_I won't let go of you_**

**_Got you shackled in my embrace_**

**_I'm latching on to you_**

**_Now I've got you in my space_**

**_I won't let go of you_**

**_Got you shackled in my embrace_**

**_I'm latching on to you_**

**_I'm latching on to you_**

_Caroline sat stunned, unsure of what to say. Despite him not saying anything of the sort, she knew it was about her. Or at least, she wanted it to be._

_"Nik," she finally spoke quietly. "That song is beautiful."_

_"Well, I wanted it to match its subject," he muttered. "I'm glad you like it, sweetheart. I know that you only see this as a friendship and a work relationship, but I want it to be more than that."_

_She frowned. "It can't. I'm so sorry, because I would love for things to be different, but they aren't. Elijah told me when I switched jobs to work closely with you that it was a big risk, and he would be holding me to a higher standard. I can't make him regret that by kissing you right now, no matter how much I want to." She stood up and walked over to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for everything this summer; I'll see you in May. Goodbye, Nik."_

* * *

_Caroline was just coming back to her small off-campus apartment after her last final when her phone rang in the pocket of her tote bag._

_"Hi, Mom," she answered a moment later. "What's up?"_

_"Don't be mad at me," Liz requested._

_"Why would I?" Caroline wondered cautiously. "What did you do? Tell me now, so I'm not still mad when I leave for London on Sunday." She pulled her keys from her bag and stuck them into the door of her apartment._

_"This could be a good thing, Caroline," Liz said before hanging up._

_Caroline pushed back the door and froze in the threshold; Klaus was sitting on her couch._

_"What are you doing here?" she breathed, setting her things down on her kitchen table._

_Klaus stood. "I wanted to personally escort you to London, so I convinced your mother to lend me her spare key."_

_It had been nine months since they'd last seen each other. They'd sent Christmas gifts and he gave her a beautiful bracelet for her twenty-first birthday in March, but this was their first face-to-face meeting since he'd played "Latch" for her that night at his home._

_"I know it's still unprofessional," he went on, stepping closer towards her, "but damn it, Caroline, I don't care. Elijah cannot do anything about your job; only I can. And you're the only girl I want next to me." He paused. "Unless, of course, you've met someone?"_

_"Nik," she scoffed. "How could I? You're kind of all I ever think about."_

_"Good," he smiled, closing the last few feet between them to pull her into his arms. "I'm going to kiss you now."_

_"Oh, all right," she murmured as he pressed his lips to hers._


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, this should be the last chapter of flashbacks, unless there's something you're dying to see that happened in the past. Otherwise, I'm going on in the present with how life changes now that Klaus has told the world about Caroline. I hope you guys are still liking this story. I so appreciate the feedback I get; it's what keeps me going with it. So, as always, let me know what you think or what you'd like to read next. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

_"You've been over here for a month now and I feel like I never see you," Katherine complained as she and Caroline sat down for lunch in late June._

_"Well, Nik is recording, so I spend most of my time at the studio," Caroline shrugged. "I know that place like the back of my hand."_

_Katherine frowned. "He doesn't give you days off?"_

_"He does, but I'm usually exhausted, so I stay at the hotel," Caroline lied._

_It was hard for her, lying to her best friend of sixteen years, but she and Klaus still weren't ready to come clean about their relationship. While Caroline was spending most of her time with him in the studio—which Stefan could account for—she hadn't slept a single night in her hotel since her first week in London. Instead, she was staying with Klaus at his house, where they could spend their evenings pretending their lives were normal and they didn't have to hide everything from everyone._

_"Well, can you come out with all of us tonight?" Katherine asked. "It's Marcel's birthday, so we're celebrating. Klaus can come, too, if he wants, I guess."_

_Caroline laughed. "You'll have to ask him, but I'm in."_

_"Hey, has he recorded that 'Latch' song yet?" Katherine asked suddenly._

_"Uh, what?" Caroline murmured, praying her face didn't turn red._

_"About a week before you got here, Elijah found his writing notebook lying around his house, and there's a song called 'Latch' that we'd never heard before," Katherine explained. "When Elijah asked about it, Klaus got very defensive and wouldn't answer any questions, but now we're all dying to know who it's about."_

_"Oh," Caroline said. "He's recorded it, but I don't know."_

_"Come on!" Katherine cried. "You're with the little narcissist like, 24/7. Surely he's mentioned something or slipped somehow?"_

_"I'm sorry," Caroline apologized. "I've seen him texting a lot, but I don't know who, and it isn't my place to ask."_

_Caroline and Klaus had decided that should people ask them about the other, they would tell small truths to keep their friends and family placated._

_"Yes, it is!" Katherine exclaimed. "You're his assistant and pretty much his best friend."_

_"But I'm not about to risk my job by prying," Caroline murmured. "If, and when, he wants to tell me, he will."_

_"And you'll tell me and Elijah," Katherine nodded. "Fine."_

_"Kat," Caroline warned. "I can't betray his trust like that."_

_"I said you're his best friend, not that he's yours," Katherine smirked. "That's still me."_

_Caroline just smiled. "Maybe, but I won't tell you anything."_

_"So you say now," Katherine shrugged. "But you will."_

* * *

_That night, Caroline sat in the sound booth at the recording studio, watching Klaus and his producer, Enzo Augustine, set up for the last song of his album._

_"What's this one called?" she asked._

_Klaus looked up at her and smiled. "You'll have to wait to find out."_

_"Ass," she grumbled, knowing he heard her by the chuckle that came from him._

_"Don't fret, gorgeous," Enzo advised. "I don't even know this song; he just says it's important."_

_"And you don't need Stefan, Marcel, and Josh for it?" she wondered._

_"Eventually," Klaus confirmed, "but I can lay down the vocals and my guitar part tonight. The boys will finish up tomorrow and then it's finished on our end."_

_Enzo left the studio and sat down at the soundboard. "Ready when you are, mate."_

_Klaus cleared his throat, sat down on his stool, and put on the headphones. "This song is called 'Firefly.'" He started strumming his guitar softly before singing._

_**I fell in love next to you**_

_**Burning fires in this room**_

_**It just fits**_

_**Light and smooth**_

_**Like my feet in my shoes**_

_**Little one, lie with me**_

_**Sew you heart to my sleeve**_

_**We'll stay quiet **_

_**Underneath shooting stars**_

_**If it helps you sleep**_

_**And hold me tight**_

_**Don't let me breathe**_

_**Feeling like**_

_**You won't believe**_

_**There's a firefly **_

_**Loose tonight**_

_**Better catch it**_

_**Before it burns this place down**_

_**And I lie**_

_**If I don't feel so right**_

_**But the world looks better**_

_**Through your eyes**_

_**Teach my skin **_

_**Those new tricks**_

_**Warm me up **_

_**With your lips**_

_**Heart to heart**_

_**Melt me down**_

_**It's too cold**_

_**In this town**_

_**Close your eyes**_

_**Lean on me**_

_**Face to mouth**_

_**Lips to cheek**_

_**Feeling numb**_

_**In my feet**_

_**You're the one**_

_**To help me**_

_**Get to sleep**_

_**And hold me tight**_

_**Don't let me breathe**_

_**Feeling like**_

_**You won't believe**_

_**There's a firefly **_

_**Loose tonight**_

_**Better catch it**_

_**Before it burns this place down**_

_**And I lie**_

_**If I don't feel so right**_

_**But the world looks better**_

_**Through your eyes**_

_**It's only been **_

_**One night of love**_

_**And maybe **_

_**That is not enough**_

_**Hold me tight**_

_**Don't let me breathe**_

_**Feeling like**_

_**You won't believe**_

_**It's only been **_

_**One night of love**_

_**And maybe **_

_**That's not enough**_

_**Hold me tight**_

_**Don't let me breathe**_

_**Feeling like**_

_**You won't believe**_

_**There's a firefly loose tonight**_

_**Better catch it**_

_**Before it burns this place down**_

_**And I lie**_

_**If I don't feel so right**_

_**But the world looks better**_

_**Through your eyes**_

_"Bloody hell," Enzo murmured. "Who's the girl?"_

_"Butt out," Klaus smirked._

_"This entire album—save for 'Don't,' 'Runaway,' and 'You Need Me'—is full of love songs," Enzo argued. "As your producer, I want to know about this girl who's so inspiring. And don't lie and say there are multiple girls; I know you too well."_

_"She's an important girl," Klaus shrugged cryptically. "That's all you get to know."_

_"Do you know?" Enzo asked Caroline. "You're with him more than anyone."_

_"I see him texting a lot," she shrugged, using the same line she'd given Katherine earlier. "He's my boss, so I don't ask."_

_Enzo rolled his eyes. "I'll figure it out; Klaus has tells. I'm sure Elijah and Katherine will want to know, as well."_

_"Kat begs for info every time I see her," Caroline confirmed, more for Klaus to hear than Enzo._

_"Kat is a busybody who should learn to mind her business," Klaus grumbled, packing up his instrument. "What time are the guys due in tomorrow? I told Stefan I'd remind them."_

_"Ten or so," Enzo shrugged. "I'd like to be finished recording by noon so we can mix. Make sure Josh isn't hungover."_

_"I make no promises," Klaus replied. "Caroline, are you ready, love? We can pick up dinner before I drop you at the hotel."_

_"Okay," she agreed, packing up her bag. "Goodnight, Enzo."_

_"Later, gorgeous," Enzo winked as the pair left._

_"I hate that you let him call you that," Klaus murmured as he led Caroline through the building. "If we just told people, he'd have to stop. I'd make him."_

_Caroline sighed. "You know why we don't."_

_"I'm starting to wonder," he muttered as they reached his Range Rover in the back lot._

_"What is that supposed to mean?" she demanded._

_"It's like you're ashamed of me," Klaus replied. "You're an intellect, studying great things at university, just slumming it with a musician. Are you ashamed of me, Caroline?"_

_Caroline closed her eyes to keep tears from filling them. "I can't believe you just said that. Just take me to the hotel."_

_"Fine," he snapped._

_They rode in silence to the hotel Caroline had a room in, and when he pulled up in front, she climbed out without a word to him._

_Caroline waited until she was safely in the elevator before letting her tears flow freely. When the doors opened, she cursed internally at seeing Stefan on the other side._

_"Care?" he murmured, reaching out to her. "Hey, what's wrong? What happened?"_

_"It's nothing," she lied. "I'm fine."_

_"Liar," he accused. "What happened? Was it Klaus?"_

_"Don't, Stefan," she warned, pulling away to head to her room._

_"Oh, my God," he realized. "You're the muse. You're the girl all the songs are about, aren't you?"_

_He saw her shoulders slump and he knew he was right._

_"I don't know how it's going to work," she finally whispered, reaching her room. "He thinks I'm ashamed of him and that's why we haven't told anyone."_

_"He thinks you're ashamed?" Stefan repeated, sitting down on the small couch in her suite. He looked around. "This place looks barely lived in. How do you do that?"_

_"I haven't," she admitted. "I've been staying with him for the last month and a half. And I'm not ashamed, at all. I'm terrified."_

_"Of what?" he wanted to know, patting the seat next to him for her to sit down._

_"Everything," she breathed, wiping her eyes. "I don't want Elijah to think I'm unprofessional for dating my boss. I don't want Kat to think I'm an idiot for getting involved with Nik. And mostly, I'm terrified he's going to get bored and move on to some supermodel or something. I'm a nobody; he's a Grammy winner."_

_"Oh," Stefan nodded. "That's the Tyler insecurity rearing its ugly head. Care, you can't think like that. I might not have known they were about you, but I've heard the songs. He's completely in love with you. And by how upset you are, you must feel the same way."_

_"I do," she agreed, realizing that was the first time she was admitting out loud that she loved Klaus. "I have to show him that." She sat back against the couch. "I know what I have to do."_

_The following afternoon, Caroline stood in front of the group: Katherine, Elijah, Stefan, Rebekah, Kol, Henrik, Marcel, Josh, Enzo, and last but not least, Klaus. They were seated around her suite, staring at her impatiently._

_"What's going on, Caroline?" Katherine demanded. "Don't you dare tell me that you're going home? The album might be finished, but your job isn't."_

_"No, it's not that," Caroline denied, eyeing Klaus. "I uhh, do have a confession though. It's something I've been keeping from you for a little while now, and it's been hard, and people are getting hurt, so it's time to come clean." She took a deep breath. "It's me."_

_"What's you?" Rebekah asked._

_Elijah, however, looked to his brother. "It's her, isn't it?"_

_"Yes," Klaus confirmed. "It's Caroline. She's the girl the songs are about."_

_"Wait, what?" Katherine cried. "You're telling me that 'Latch' and 'Firefly' and 'Kiss Me' and all those other songs are all about Caroline? Are you two dating?"_

_Klaus, who'd been sitting on a stool near the kitchen, stood and walked to stand beside Caroline. "Yes, if you can call it that. Mostly we just spend our days at the studio and our nights at my house, but yes, we're together. I told her how I felt when she left last summer, but she was afraid you'd think her unprofessional, so she left with no resolution. When I disappeared for a few days before she got here, it was because I'd flown to Virginia to meet her and lay it all on the line. That time, however, she was more receptive."_

_Kol smirked. "Well done. I was almost convinced Tatia had weaseled her way back in."_

_"God, no," Klaus denied._

_"I'm the reason we've kept it from you all," Caroline went on. "I've been so afraid of what you'd think that I never thought much about how Nik felt because he ever said anything." She turned to him. "But I'm not ashamed of you at all. If anything, I worry you'll become ashamed of me."_

_"Fucking Tyler Lockwood," Katherine cursed, knowing he was the cause of Caroline's insecurity._

_"I have nothing to be ashamed of," Klaus said softly, cupping her cheek. "I love you, Caroline."_

_She smiled, leaning into his hand. "I love you, too."_

* * *

_On her last morning in London before heading back to the States for her senior year, Caroline frowned. While she was still wrapped warmly in the blanket on Klaus' bed, his side was empty._

_"Nik?" she called._

_"In the kitchen!" he yelled back from downstairs._

_She groaned and rolled out of bed, grabbing her robe on her way out the door to cover up in case he wasn't alone; since telling everyone else about their relationship in June, they'd had very little alone time._

_"Good morning," he beamed when she found him moments later over the stove wearing only his boxer briefs. "I'm almost finished with breakfast."_

_Caroline stood in shock. "You cooked."_

_"I did," he confirmed, nodding at the spread on the small table in the breakfast nook of his kitchen. "It's your last day here; I wanted it to be memorable."_

_"But you never cook," she went on, taking a seat at the table. "And there's coffee!"_

_He chuckled as he turned off the stove and carried over the last plate—bacon—to join her. "Well, you've been drinking tea all summer and I know you missed it, so I sent Quinn out for some last night while you showered."_

_She leaned over to kiss him. "Thank you."_

_"Of course," he smiled, pleased with himself to have made her so happy. "Now, eat up because we have a busy day ahead of us."_

_At the end of the day, after spending hours around London, Caroline noticed that Klaus was leading her through Kensington Gardens to the Peter Pan statue._

_"I'm feeling a little déjà vu," she joked as they sat on the same bench._

_"This is the place where I first opened up to you," he began, "and where you opened up to me. It was here, almost exactly one year ago, that I knew I was completely in love with you, Caroline Forbes, and I haven't regretted it for a second."_

_"I'm glad," she smiled. "I haven't regretted it either. Leaving tomorrow morning is going to be the worst day of my life."_

_"That's why I want this one to be your best," he replied, reaching into the pocket of his jacket to pull out a small velvet box._

_She looked around nervously and for the first time realized they were completely alone in the park. "Where is everyone?"_

_"Elijah rented out the space for me," he explained. "I needed this to be perfect." He got down to the ground on one knee in front of her. "I'm difficult, to say the least. I'm stubborn and opinionated, and I have to get my way, always. But above all of that, I love you. You came into my life just as this wild ride was starting and I can't imagine going through it with anyone else at my side." He opened the box to reveal a stunning round-cut diamond on a simple white-gold band. "Caroline, will you marry me?"_

_"Yes," she answered quickly, no hesitation in her response. "Yes, I'll marry you."_

* * *

_"I can't believe you all came!" Caroline cried happily upon greeting her London friends after her graduation ceremony had ended._

_"Of course we came," Katherine said, hugging her tightly. "You're part of the family, and we stick together."_

_"Forever and always," Rebekah murmured, taking her turn to hug her. "He's at your apartment. He didn't want to draw attention to himself on your day."_

_Caroline just grinned. "Then let's go."_

_She hadn't seen Klaus in-person since March, despite talking via webcam every day. To say she missed being with him was an understatement, and now that she had graduated, she would be moving to London to be with him full-time._

_When they arrived at her apartment, the rest of the group offered to head to the restaurant Elijah has secured a private room in to give the couple some alone time. Caroline hurried inside and found Klaus waiting for her on her couch, much like he'd done the year before._

_"Hello, beautiful," he greeted her warmly._

_"Hi," she beamed, launching herself at him. "God, I missed you."_

_"And I you," he confirmed, kissing her softly. "Congratulations, Caroline."_

_"Thank you," she accepted, pulling the chain that held her engagement ring out from under her dress. "Can I wear this now?"_

_"I hope so," he chuckled, helping to remove the necklace. He slid the diamond off and then returned it to its rightful place on her ring finger. "Much better."_

_She kissed him again, this time with a little more oomph. "Are you certain you want to go to dinner? It's been two very long months, Nik."_

_"I know," he muttered as she kissed her way down his neck, "and I plan on making it up to you this evening, but we really should go. Everyone is waiting."_

_"Oh, fine," she sighed, standing up to straighten herself out. "Let's go."_

_Klaus offered to drive. "I don't get much practice here in America."_

_"Why would you?" she teased. "You can barely drive on your side of the road, so I can't imagine you on mine."_

_He ignored her dig and climbed into the driver's seat of her Mini Cooper. "What a British car you have, love."_

_"It reminds me of you," she admitted without shame._

_"I'm glad," he smiled, typing an address into the GPS system of the car._

_"Where are we going?" Caroline asked moments later as he drove in the opposite direction of the restaurant._

_"We have to make a pit stop," he explained vaguely._

_"How do you even know what's here?" she asked. "You've been to Virginia like, three times."_

_"Just wait and see," he advised. "You won't be disappointed."_

_Caroline just huffed and looked out the window as he drove through Charlottesville._

_When they arrived at their destination, they were entering a building from the back alley, so Caroline still had no idea where they were._

_"Where are we?" she demanded as he took her hand and led her inside. "Nik, this is absurd. Everyone is waiting for us."_

_"Just through here," he murmured, pushing open a door._

_Inside, the London group—along with her mother and Elena—was gathered around a man in a long black robe._

_"Is he a judge?" Caroline realized._

_Klaus stopped walking to face her. "I'm sure you want a big wedding and I so wish I could give you one, but the only way for us to be married and keep our privacy is to do it like this, love."_

_"We're getting married?" she breathed as a smile erupted from her lips. "Right now?"_

_"As long as you say yes," he confirmed._

_"Yes!" she declared. "Let's get married."_

_The judge cleared his throat. "Excellent. If the two of you will stand just here in front of me, we'll begin."_

_Klaus took Caroline's hands and held them throughout the entire ceremony, still shocked she'd agreed to be his wife. He wasn't sure he deserved her, but he was going to do everything in his power to make sure he kept her._

* * *

_"What's all this?" Caroline asked the following evening as Klaus led her out to her mother's backyard._

_"Well, even though we didn't have a big wedding, I thought I could still give you a first dance," he explained, leading her to the middle of the candle-surrounded gazebo. He hit 'play' on the portable radio he'd brought out earlier and took her into his arms. "I wrote this song just for this moment."_

_"Will you sing it, too?" she whispered, lying her head on his shoulder._

_"For you?" he asked. Anything._

_**Give me love like her,**_

_**'Cause lately I've been waking up alone,**_

_**Paint splattered teardrops on my shirt,**_

_**Told you I'd let them go,**_

_**And that I'll fight my corner,**_

_**Maybe tonight I'll call ya,**_

_**After my blood turns into alcohol,**_

_**No, I just wanna hold ya.**_

_**Give a little time to me or burn this out,**_

_**We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,**_

_**All I want is the taste that your lips allow,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, give me love,**_

_**Give me love like never before,**_

_**'Cause lately I've been craving more,**_

_**And it's been a while but I still feel the same,**_

_**Maybe I should let you go,**_

_**You know I'll fight my corner,**_

_**And that tonight I'll call ya,**_

_**After my blood is drowning in alcohol,**_

_**No, I just wanna hold ya.**_

_**Give a little time to me or burn this out,**_

_**We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,**_

_**All I want is the taste that your lips allow,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**Give a little time to me or burn this out,**_

_**We'll play hide and seek to turn this around,**_

_**All I want is the taste that your lips allow,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love.**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover,**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover,**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover,**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover.**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover,**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover,**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover,**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover (love me, love me, love me).**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover (give me love),**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover (give me love),**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover (give me love, love me),**_

_**M-my my, m-my my, m-my my, give me love, lover (give me love).**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love,**_

_**My, my, my, my, oh give me love.**_

_"It's beautiful," she murmured when he finished singing to her._

_"You're beautiful," he corrected, "and you deserved something that matched."_

_"I love you, Niklaus Mikaelson," she told him._

_He kissed her. "And I love you, Caroline Mikaelson."_


	6. Chapter 6

**This isn't the greatest chapter I've ever written, but I want to get to planning the wedding Klaus promised, so this is mostly filler. It does introduce a subplot-hello, Kennett!-and another Ed Sheeran song (I had to change a lyric to make it work; brownie points if you notice it). Let me know what you think, as always. That's what drives writers to write faster. Also, I'm open to pretty much anything in terms of their wedding, so if you have ideas, send them my way either in a review or PM. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

Elijah stood at the window and looked out through the chiffon curtains. "It's madness down there."

Caroline frowned. "Are you sure we did the right thing by telling?"

"Yes," Klaus assured her, pulling her feet to his lap. "It will die down when the next story hits."

"Scar-Jo got married and didn't tell," Katherine pointed out. "When it came out, people cared for a week and then moved on."

"She was married a month without telling!" Caroline cried. "We've been married for four years!"

"Someone should write a book on you two," Katherine smirked. "Plus, we'd be major players because we've all done a lot to keep the secret."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Kat."

"You do have to venture out shortly," Elijah explained. "You perform in five hours."

"I'm aware," Klaus nodded. "It will be fine. I'll have my wife holding my hand the whole time."

Caroline smiled. "I look forward to it. I mean, not the hoopla we'll walk into, but just that we can finally do it together."

Klaus leaned over to kiss her. "I love you."

"Me, too," she breathed against his lips.

"Ugh, enough of that," Katherine grumbled. "You guys need to get moving. Klaus, you need to shower and Caroline, I need you to help me round everyone up. No one has seen Kol in a while."

Caroline sighed and stood up. "I'll go find him, cause Kol doesn't think like a normal person, but isn't this Hayley's job?"

"I think I'm firing her," Katherine shrugged as the two women left Klaus and Caroline's suite. "She's pretty worthless and spends all her time eyeing my husband."

"Oh, really?" Caroline mused. "So you hate having a young idiot fawning all over your husband? God, I wonder what that's like. Oh, no, I don't because your last assistant was way worse about my husband!"

Katherine chuckled. "God, forget Camille."

"I have, but now you know how I feel," Caroline shrugged. She groaned. "Ugh, now I'm thinking about Camille."

"She emailed me last week, asking for a reference," Katherine admitted. "Apparently she's trying to work for the Kings of Leon."

"Don't write it," Caroline shook her head. "They're all married and three have kids. She can't go in there and ruin lives."

"Oh, Jesus," Katherine smirked. "Klaus is a complicated guy, and Cami studied psychology in college, so she was attracted to his broodiness."

"Please!" Caroline cried. "She threw herself at him a minute after meeting him. She'll totally do that with four rock stars in one band. Ew, remember when she dressed like Red Riding Hood for Halloween because she overheard Kol saying Nik was going to be a wolf?"

"And you guys didn't even dress up at all," Katherine remembered fondly. "So she looked like an idiot at that party at the Roosevelt while you two were all cuddled up with candy corn and _The Shining_."

Caroline smiled, remembering their night in. "Kol sent me pictures all night of her standing in a corner, looking ridiculous and out of place."

"I'm going to write her letter," Katherine said, "because when it came to actually doing the job she was hired for, she was good. I will, however, warn them that she's a major fangirl, so they can make the decision."

The two girls split up when they reached the bank of rooms designated to crew and band; Katherine went looking for Rebekah and her assistants while Caroline took on finding Kol, Marcel, and Josh.

She banged on Marcel's door first. "Marcel, open up or I'll get the concierge to do it for me and I have a feeling you don't want me walking in on whatever is going on in there!"

Just seconds later, the door swung open and Marcel appeared, pulling on a t-shirt. "What's up, Mrs. M?"

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Local or Davina?"

"Hey, Caroline," Davina called out as she emerged from Marcel's bathroom.

"Hi, D," Caroline said to Rebekah's wardrobe assistant. "Does Josh know about this little thing you two have going on? I'm not sure he'd approve."

"It's just fun," Marcel shrugged. "No more, no less."

The blonde saw right through Marcel, but she said nothing. It was pretty clear to everyone on tour that he had a real crush on Davina, despite his playboy ways, but everyone also knew the petite brunette was hung up on Kol, who wasn't giving her the time of day.

"You two need to get ready," Caroline explained. "We're leaving in forty minutes."

When she reached Josh's room, he was already up and ready, talking to his parents over the phone. It was Kol she worried about. He was her favorite brother-in-law, but he was a handful and keeping him in check was difficult at times. Just as she went to knock on his door, a familiar voice rang out from inside.

"Kol, this is ridiculous," the girl complained. "We don't work. We tried, you screwed up, and I left."

"Bonnie?" Caroline whispered in shock. She knew it was bad to eavesdrop, but she couldn't help it.

"Caroline?"

She turned quickly to see her husband approaching down the hotel hallway and instantly shushed him before taking his hand and pulling him to her.

"Bonnie is in there with him," she breathed, pressing her ear to the door. "Listen."

"I screwed up?" Kol replied from inside the room. "By loving you and asking you to be with me, I screwed up?"

"Yes!" Bonnie exclaimed. "We agreed in the beginning that it was just going to be a fun, no-strings-attached sort of thing when we happened to be in the same city for work. And then suddenly, you were around more and more, being kind of perfect, and that wasn't the deal."

"I can't believe you're saying this right now!" Kol yelled. "I loved you and treated you like you deserve to be treated, and I'm the bad guy? That's rich, darling. You know, I don't know why you came here. Go, take your stupid photos, and get out of my life. That's what you want, isn't it?"

Before Caroline and Klaus could sneak away, the door swung open in a furry and Bonnie Bennett, world-famous supermodel, stood before them.

"Oh, great," she muttered, pushing past the married couple.

"Bon, wait!" Caroline called after her.

Kol stuck his head out and looked at his brother. "Did you hear all that?"

"Yes," Klaus confirmed. "I had no idea you were in love with her, Kol."

The younger Mikaelson snorted. "Well, you can see why. She's not exactly open to the idea of it herself."

"She's scared," Klaus reasoned. "That's obvious. Bonnie is used to traveling and working, which isn't exactly a well-settled lifestyle, and you were offering a stability she wasn't ready for."

"How do you think I feel?" Kol scoffed. "I'm not exactly Mr. Romance here; I leave that to you and the sappy songs you write for your wife." He lit up. "Your wife the entire world now knows about. Are you prepared for that?"

"No," Klaus denied, nodding down the hall at where Caroline and Bonnie were talking, "but I've got her by my side, so we'll survive."

Kol just rolled his eyes, shoved his brother away, and slammed his door.

"Thirty minutes!" Klaus called in before walking off in search of Elijah.

True to schedule, thirty minutes later, the group stood in the lobby of the hotel, preparing to go out.

"Okay, this has to be done perfectly," Katherine announced. "Crew, along with Rebekah, Henrik, and Kol, you go first. Stefan, Josh, and Marcel will follow with Hayley. Elijah and I will lead Caroline and Klaus out, along with security. We have to move quickly because thanks to his big announcement, media will be crazier than you can even imagine. Are you ready?" The group confirmed that they were, so she turned to Klaus and Caroline. "You two? This is about to change everything."

Klaus held Caroline's hand tightly in his own. "Let's do this."

"Crew, go!" Katherine said quickly, ushering people to the door.

Once it was just down to Klaus, Caroline, Katherine, and Elijah, Klaus turned to his wife. "Are you sure you're ready for all this?"

"I am," she whispered. "I have you."

He leaned over to kiss her softly before Katherine cleared her throat. "All right, Kat, let's go."

With a deep breath, Caroline gripped Klaus' hand as the hotel doors opened and flashbulbs went off in her face. She was well shielded from the mob by security and Klaus, but the questions still came rapidly.

"_Why hide your marriage?"_

"_Do you have some sort of deal struck?"_

"_What about Emma Watson?" _

"_Is Caroline pregnant?" _

After what felt like hours, Caroline was helped into the waiting SUV and slid over to let Klaus climb in beside her; Katherine and Elijah had already gotten in the far backseat.

"Jesus," Caroline breathed, trying to catch her breath. "That was intense."

"You okay?" Klaus asked.

She smiled. "I'm good. You okay?"

He pulled her to him. "I am."

"Okay, be cutesy all you want now, but when we get to the arena, it's all work," Katherine told them.

"Hey, so what about Bonnie being with Kol today?" Caroline asked suddenly.

Elijah chuckled. "They always did have a hard time staying away from each other."

"I don't know," Caroline shook her head. "If she's back now, almost a year later, it means something big. She wouldn't tell me much, but I invited her tonight, so we'll see."

"Should we be meddling?" Klaus wondered. "They're adults; they have to work things out themselves."

"It's Kol and Bonnie," Katherine reasoned without looking up from her phone. "He's an idiot and she's too judgmental of his lifestyle for them to do things themselves. My question is: why do we care about them being together?"

"Because he loves her!" Caroline cried. "And I think she loves him. She's just too afraid to admit it."

"I can't quite believe that Kol has," Elijah admitted. "He's never been one to be so open."

"Bonnie broke his heart when she left," Caroline remembered. "It was ugly, and he still hasn't recovered fully."

"Did you know she was going to be in Rome?" Klaus wondered. That's the part I can't reconcile. What was she even doing here?"

"Work, I'm sure," Katherine shrugged. "This is Italy, a Mecca for models."

"It's still weird," Caroline shook her head. "How'd she find him? Do you think they still talk?"

"Probably," Klaus replied. "They must, right?"

"A year later?" Katherine spoke, now becoming more invested. "I don't know. Kol _never _mentions her."

"He doesn't," Caroline confirmed. "I'm with him more than anyone, so I'd know. He thinks about her, and he misses her, but I really don't think they've spoken." She gasped. "Oh, my God, Bonnie misses _him_! She found him on purpose."

Klaus smirked at his wife's excitement. "Don't get too worked up, love. They were together for just a bit and she stormed out. That can't bode well."

"Doesn't matter," Caroline denied. "She came to him, so she must be serious. We have to help them. Kol is your brother, you love him, and he wants to be with her. We're all happy, so he should be, too."

"No one is denying his happiness, Caroline," Elijah assured her. "We just can't stick our noses where they don't belong."

"Oh, Elijah," Katherine sighed as the SUV reached the arena. "It's like you don't know Caroline at all."

While Klaus went into his pre-show hibernation, Caroline helped the crew set up the stage. She immediately found Kol and cornered him.

"Don't," he warned. "I don't want to hear it, Care."

"Nice try," she scoffed. "What the hell, Kol?! How could you not tell me you've been talking to Bonnie?"

"I haven't," he grumbled, tuning one of Stefan's guitars. "I was at the hotel bar last night and she just showed up. We stayed up all night talking—fighting, really—and then you heard how it all ended today."

"But she found you, Kol!" Caroline cried. "She couldn't have known what hotel we were at because we never stay at the same place twice, so she had to dig around. That means something. You haven't contacted her in almost a year, so it's not like she came to tell you to leave her alone. She came because she totally loves you, Kol!"

Kol slammed the lid of a guitar case and turned to her. "Caroline, stop it. I mean it. Bonnie broke my heart. I did something I swore I never would—fall in love—and it backfired. I'm not going down that road again."

Caroline opened her mouth to respond, but movement over Kol's shoulder stopped her. She smiled. "I wouldn't give up just yet, K." She winked at the person and backed away.

Kol furrowed his brow; he never got rid of his sister-in-law that easily. He shrugged it off and spun to go back to his work but found himself face-to-face with Bonnie herself.

"Hi," he greeted her softly.

"Um, I know the show starts in just a little while, but can you take a break?" she requested.

"Yes, he can!" Caroline called out as she stuck her head out from where she'd hidden behind the curtains. "Go, Kol. Thierry will finish up with guitars."

She beamed as Kol and Bonnie walked off together.

"You seem pretty pleased with yourself," Stefan noticed when he found her moments later.

"Just putting my stellar matchmaking skills to good use," she reported smugly, patting his chest and walking off once more.

That night, towards the end of his set, Klaus put down his acoustic guitar and smiled at his wife as she stood in the wings while he sat at the piano that Kol rolled out.

"So, I've made some news lately," he said into the microphone. "For four years, I've kept you all in the dark about the most important person in my life, and that wasn't fair to her. This song I'm about to play is one I wrote for her quite some time ago, but I haven't played it in a while, so I'm going to tonight, and I'm going to dedicate it to Caroline, my lovely wife."

Caroline waited for the boos from the crowd, but she was stunned instead to hear cheers and applause.

Klaus winked at her before he began to sing.

_I should ink my skin with your name_

_And take my passport out again_

_And just replace it_

_See I could do without a tan_

_On my left hand,_

_Where my fourth finger meets my knuckle_

_And I should run you a hot bath_

_And fill it up with bubbles_

_'Cause maybe you're loveable_

_And maybe you're my snowflake_

_And your eyes turn from green to gray_

_In the winter I'll hold you in a cold place_

_And you should never cut your hair_

_'Cause I love the way you flick it off your shoulder_

_And you will never know_

_Just how beautiful you are to me_

_But maybe I'm just in love_

_When you wake me up_

_And would you ever feel guilty if you did the same to me?_

_Could you make me a cup of tea to open my eyes in the right way?_

_And I know you love _Shrek

'_Cause we've watched it 12 times_

_But maybe you're hoping for a fairy tale too_

_And if your DVD breaks today_

_You should've got a VCR_

_Because I've never owned a Blu-Ray, true say_

_And now I always been shit at computer games_

_And my brother always beats me_

_And if I lost, I'd go across and chuck all the controllers at the TV_

_And then you'd laugh at me_

_And be asking me_

_If I'm gonna be home next week_

_And then you'd lie with me 'til I fall asleep_

_And flutter eye lash on my cheek between the sheets_

_And you will never know_

_Just how beautiful you are to me_

_But maybe I'm just in love_

_When you wake me up_

_And I think you hate the smell of smoke_

_You always try to get me to stop_

_But you drink as much as me_

_And I get drunk a lot_

_So I'll take you to the beach_

_And walk along the sand_

_And I'll make you a heart pendant_

_With a pebble held in my hand_

_And I'll carve it like a necklace_

_So the heart falls where your chest is_

_And now a piece of me is a piece of the beach_

_And it falls just where it needs to be_

_And rests peacefully_

_So you just need to breathe_

_To feel my heart against yours now, against yours now_

'_Cause maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up_

_Or maybe I'm just in love when you wake me up_

_Maybe I fell in love when you woke me up_

"Damn, he's good," Rebekah murmured as the song ended and Klaus took his final bow.

"He is," Caroline agreed as he walked off stage towards her.

"Was that okay?" he asked, a bit out of breath. He pulled Caroline into his arms.

"You're all sweaty," she complained, though she didn't really mind. "And yes, it was fine. You haven't played that song in a while."

"I thought you might like it," he shrugged, accepting the bottle of water Katherine handed him. "Okay, I'll do two encore songs, and then we're out."

Caroline kissed him quickly and then pushed him back onstage. "Good luck!"

"You know, I worried about how you'd do with him making the marriage announcement," Rebekah admitted, "but you're practically glowing now."

"I just like being able to be a regular married couple now," Caroline explained. "I don't have to hide how I feel about him anymore."

Rebekah smiled. "I'm happy for you, Caroline. You both deserve the freedom that comes along with this."

"I think so, too," Caroline murmured, turning her attention back to the show. "We've certainly earned it."

"Girls everywhere will be rushing out to be wardrobe assistants for various musicians," Rebekah joked. "You're a real Cinderella story."

"Nah," Caroline denied. "I'm just a girl who fell in love with a boy way out of her league and lucked out in the end."


	7. Chapter 7

**Another day, another apology for the long delay. Hope you like it. Let me know. Their vow renewal/wedding will be next.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. I don't own "You're the Reason I Come Home" either; Ron Pope does.**

* * *

Caroline let herself into her and Klaus' London bedroom and frowned at the sight before her. She quietly kicked off her flats and joined her husband on the window seat.

"Kat said you stormed out of your interview," she murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. "What happened?"

"I got annoyed," Klaus shrugged, anger radiating out of every pore. "She was asking questions I didn't appreciate."

"About what?" Caroline wanted to know.

"Us," he answered. "I knew that telling Jax about us back in November was going to open us up to everyone, but this woman today was rude and invasive. She made terrible assumptions and I didn't like them."

Caroline sighed. "What did she ask?"

"She said that there must've been a better reason for keeping our marriage a secret than you just didn't like the attention," he explained, taking her hand in his. "She assumed I kept you a secret so I could cheat on you in every city without looking like an asshole for doing that to my wife. She said you were married to me for money and didn't care that I was probably cheating all the time."

"Jesus," she scoffed. "If that were true, why would you tell about me now? Also, you're never seen with other women, so that makes her theory just sound stupid. Who was she with?"

"Some Australian magazine," he muttered. "It was just ridiculous. It's been a long day, Damon and Elena Salvatore are visiting, and then I had to listen to her basically call me a cheater and you an idiot. I snapped."

Caroline knew this was a part of fame he hated. Klaus was impulsive. He had a temper to match just about anyone's and he had a hard time containing it. When someone angered him, he struggled to keep it from showing, and in the very rare instances where he failed in doing so, he knew he looked like an asshole. But this time, it was warranted.

"I'd like her name and the publication," Caroline finally spoke. "I'll get with Elijah and we'll take care of it. People shouldn't talk to you like that. And a good journalist never would. It'll be sorted out."

Klaus sighed and leaned back against the wall, pulling her with him. "What would I do without you?"

"Oh, be miserable, I guess," she joked. "I love you, Nik, so that's why I do it. It's part of the territory of being your wife."

"Well, I'm lucky to have you," he said.

"We should probably go to bed," she declared moments later. "We have a trip to take tomorrow."

"Mm, yes, we do," he smiled. "Are you packed?"

"As much as I can be without knowing where we're going," she grumbled. "I'm also leaving wedding plans to your sister and Kat for ten whole days, so it had better be worth it. We should've just held off and gone on a longer honeymoon."

"Can't," he denied. "The wedding is May 3, and I go back into the studio on May 15 for my fourth album. We're looking at an October release."

Once they'd showered—together, as most often—and were settled in bed, Caroline rested her head on his bare chest while he drew random shapes on her back. It was their favorite way to unwind after grueling days, and she could tell he needed it.

"When do you want to start trying to have a baby?" he asked after a long period of silence, knowing she was still awake. "We always said we'd have one before our five-year-anniversary, and it's here in two months."

"Hmm," she murmured, "I don't know. I guess I'd wanted to last year, but then the world tour started and that pushed things back. Maybe Kol was right, though I'll never admit that to him. Maybe we should start trying now? I'm ready. Are you?"

"Yes," he replied.

Caroline smiled into his warm skin. "Okay then. After the wedding, cause I want to fit into my dress perfectly, I'll stop taking birth control."

"Excellent," he beamed, his anger from earlier almost completely dissipating. "You'll be the best mother, sweetheart."

"I hope so," she whispered. "You'll be a great dad, you know. I know that you worry you won't know how—because of Mikael being a dick and Ansel being completely absent—but you'll know. And you'll excel, just like you do as a husband and brother and friend and musician."

Klaus liked when she listed "musician" last in the things he was good at doing, because his family always came first, so if he was letting them down, he was failing. It was always reassuring to hear that he wasn't.

* * *

"Did you confirm the car to pick us up for the airport?" Klaus asked early the next morning when they awoke.

"Yes," Caroline confirmed. "You said our flight doesn't leave until two, right?"

"Correct," he nodded. "Why?"

"I invited everyone over for breakfast," she admitted. "It's sort of a thank you breakfast for the tour, and it gives me a little more time with Elena while she's here."

He frowned. "That means Damon will be here with her, in our house."

"Yes, I'm not thrilled about that either, but like us, they're a package deal," she explained, applying her light makeup. "It's just for a bit. They know we have to leave for Heathrow by noon."

Klaus finished getting dressed in their massive walk-in closet before joining her in the master bathroom. "What time is breakfast?"

"Nine," she replied. "Penny got here at six to start all the prep and to work with the chef. If you're dressed and ready, you can go downstairs and see how things are moving along."

"I like that you say I _can_ do that when we both know you mean I _will_ do that," he chuckled, pressing a kiss to her cheek before following orders and heading for the stairs.

"Good morning, Klaus," Penny, their longtime housekeeper, greeted him in the kitchen. "The dining room is all set and the chef is working on breakfast now. Everything will be ready to go by nine."

"Thank you, Penny," he nodded, making himself a cup of coffee. "Are your daughters happy to have you visit while we're away?"

"Yes," she smiled. "They're nearly as thankful as I am that I'll have the time off to do so. It's very kind of you two."

"Trust me, you've earned it," he assured her. "I know that I'm messy and she's bossy, so putting up with us isn't always easy."

Penny just laughed. "You're the best people I've ever worked for, hands down."

He nudged her gently with his shoulder. "You say that to all of the people you work with."

"No," she denied. "Just you two."

Klaus simply grinned at her and went to the dining room to see the setup. The table had been set and there was a serving station near the door where all the food would go. He counted fourteen chairs, but he could only account for thirteen people who would be there.

"Bonnie," Caroline spoke up as she joined him. "She text me last night to say she was still in town and to ask if she could come over with Kol."

"So he's managed to keep her around for three months now," Klaus murmured as Caroline took his coffee to take a sip. "Good for him."

"Kol has been a near gentleman with her," she explained, walking back to the kitchen. "It's Bonnie that's had to work on it. Morning, Penny."

"Morning," Penny replied. "You look nice."

Caroline looked down at her simple jeans and red sweater. "Thanks. I wanted to look nice for this but be comfortable for a long plane ride later."

Before Penny could respond, the doorbell rang, so Klaus excused himself to go and answer it. He should've known it would be his luck that Elena and Damon would be the first to arrive.

"Hello, Klaus," she greeted him coolly as she removed her coat. "Your house is lovely, though I'm sure that has more to do with Caroline than with you."

"Actually, there isn't much she changed upon moving in," he answered just as coolly. "We have similar taste."

Damon looked around. "It's fine."

"Caroline!" Klaus called, wanting to be away from them as soon as possible. "Your friends are here!"

Elena huffed at being referred to as "Caroline's friends," but said nothing as the blonde appeared around the hall.

"Hi," Caroline beamed, hugging the brunette. "I'm glad you found it okay."

"Found it?" Damon scoffed. "It's the biggest house we've seen in London, and that includes the monstrosity her sister lives in."

"Yeah, when are you going to start filling it with kids?" Elena wanted to know as Caroline led them to the sitting room just off the foyer.

Caroline discreetly eyed her husband. "Oh, I don't know. We haven't talked about it much just yet."

While his wife entertained his two least favorite people in their group, Klaus made his way back to the foyer to wait for the others to arrive. Henrik showed up next, followed by Elijah and Katherine. Then came Josh, Marcel, and Davina, which was an interesting trio because Klaus knew Marcel and Davina were still sleeping together against Josh's wishes. Kol, Bonnie, Stefan, and Rebekah arrived together, rounding out the party. It amused Klaus to no end to see how Kol behaved around Bonnie. He took her coat, guided her carefully with his hand on her lower back, and made sure she was comfortable.

"Don't," Rebekah warned her favorite brother. "Kol is happy and she keeps him occupied."

"I didn't say anything," Klaus chuckled.

"You thought it," she grumbled.

Caroline stood up then and smiled at everyone. "Let's eat!"

"So you still have no idea where you're going?" Katherine asked Caroline moments later as they prepared their plates.

"No," Caroline denied, "and it's driven me just about insane. He loves that I don't know, but I'm ready to kill him."

Katherine laughed. "You know, I often hate to compliment the sociopath, but he's done well with this. You'll love it."

"You know?!" the blonde gasped.

"I helped," Katherine bragged. "Surprises aren't the worst thing in the world, Princess."

Caroline frowned. "Well, see if I bring you a souvenir home."

"Oh, no," Katherine deadpanned. "Whatever will I do without another kitschy shot glass?"

Caroline hip-checked her best friend and finished filling her plate before taking her seat at the table. To avoid any arguing, she'd put Klaus at one end and Damon at the other, so they'd only have to look at each other, not talk. She was at Klaus' left and Kol was next to her. Henrik was to Klaus' right, with Rebekah on his right.

"Henrik, I'm sure it goes without saying, but we're being generous by letting you house sit while we're away, so don't make us regret it," Klaus warned his youngest brother.

Caroline rolled her eyes and looked across the table at her brother-in-law. "Don't listen to him. We trust you, Hen. You can have a couple friends over, but no parties."

Henrik, perhaps the most mature Mikaelson after Elijah, nodded. "I know. 'Lijah's already said he's going to check on me and I have to have dinner with them every other night. I won't take advantage."

"We know," Caroline smiled before Klaus could attempt to intimidate him any further.

Elijah stood up then. "I know toasts are rather uncommon at the breakfast table, but this is my only opportunity, so I'm taking it. As Niklaus' manager for the last eight years, I'd like to thank you all for the very hard work you put in on a daily basis, particularly over the last six months of this tour. It was long and grueling, but his most successful yet. So, to you all, I raise my glass."

Caroline kicked Klaus under the table, indicating he should thank everyone, as well, so he stood up. "Thank you, Elijah. I've been doing this now for eight years, and every year, I find myself thinking, 'This was the best year yet.' I think that again as I stand here now, but I know it to be true. It was an incredible year for all of us, but especially for me because I finally got to share the most important part of my life with the world, and that's Caroline. He smiled down at his wife. She's been by my side now for nearly seven years—five as my wife—and I'm forever grateful to her for that."

"What about me?" Katherine interrupted. "You wouldn't know her if not for me."

He glared at his sister-in-law. "Yes, thank you, Katerina. Anyway, to everyone at this table, save for Elena and Damon who do nothing for me, I thank you. Your hard work has gotten me through a lot of times—good and bad—and I wouldn't be standing here without you."

Caroline winked at him as he sat back down beside her. "That was nice, minus the dig at Elena and Damon."

"No dig," he denied. "I was honest."

"So, Bon-Bon, what are your intentions with our Kol?" Katherine wanted to know, drawing the attention back to her.

Bonnie froze momentarily before clearing her throat. "Well, things are going well right now, so I guess we'll just see where it goes."

"Oh, come on," Katherine continued. "Don't play coy with us. You two did this for over a year last time before you broke his heart. You either know or you don't."

"Kat," Elena warned. "Stop it."

"Well?" Katherine ignored her sister. "Is he the one?"

Bonnie glanced at Kol, who looked ready to jump across the table about Katherine, before taking his hand. "I think he is."

"What?" Kol breathed. "I am?"

"Aren't I it for you?" she asked him quietly.

Of course, he confirmed. You have been for quite some time.

"It's you, Kol," she replied. "You drive me crazy, but I'd rather have a bad day with you than a good one with someone else."

He pressed his lips to hers. "I love you, Bonnie."

"I love you, too," she murmured.

Henrik made a face into his French toast. "Ugh."

"Stop it," Caroline laughed. "That'll be you someday."

"No, thanks," the youngest Mikaelson denied. "I'll stick to the bachelor life, I think."

"You say that now," Klaus told him, "and you'll believe it, but then the right person will come into your life and it'll knock you out. You'll do whatever necessary to be with them. Trust me, I know."

Henrik made a face again. "You're the worst one now."

"Hey, I happen to like him just the way he is," Caroline defended her husband.

"Whatever," Henrik grumbled.

* * *

When breakfast was over and everyone had gone, Caroline and Klaus helped clean up before loading their luggage into the SUV she'd called to drive them to the airport.

"Ready?" she asked once they were situated in the backseat.

"I am," he nodded.

Caroline leaned into him as the driver headed towards Heathrow. "I'm excited."

"Me, too," Klaus agreed. "Our first real trip together."

"Mm," she murmured. "Could you turn the radio on, please? I hate quite car rides."

The driver did as requested and found the local popular station.

"_Up next, we're throwing it back a bit to 'You're the Reason I Come Home' from Klaus Mikaelson, circa 2013, from his Grammy-winning _Girl in the Blue Dress_ album," _the DJ said_. "My guess is that, looking back, his reason for coming home and the girl in the blue dress are his wife, Caroline, whom he recently spilled the beans for. Well, good for them; they seem happy. Enjoy try song."_

_Watching you watching me_

_A fine way to fall asleep_

_The neighbors fight as we both rest our eyes_

_Hands in the fallen snow_

_Numb to the winter cold but we don't mind 'cause we'll get warm inside_

_You're the reason I come home_

_You're the reason I come home my love_

_You're the reason that when everything I know falls apart_

_You're the reason I come home_

_Paper doll silhouettes_

_Fingertips on window glass_

_The street's asleep so I breathe you in deep_

_The tragedies of chemistry_

_People dream of what you and me have found effortlessly_

_You're the reason I come home_

_You're the reason I come home my love_

_You're the reason that when everything I know falls apart_

_You're the reason I come home_

_And for a long time I remember saying prayers for something perfect_

_Saying prayers for someone kind_

_It's in my head_

_We're spinning circles down the avenues instead_

_You're the reason I come home_

_You're the reason I come home my love_

_You're the reason that when everything I know falls apart_

_You're the reason I come home_

Caroline wasn't a fan of flying, so Klaus always made it his mission to make flying as comfortable as possible for her. He distracted her with games and stories; no matter how hard he tried, she was against joining the Mile-High Club. Their flight from London to Belize wasn't the longest they'd ever taken, so it was bearable for her. It was the helicopter ride to their destination that had her panicked.

"It'll be all right, love," he assured her. "It's not long, I promise."

"Okay," she muttered as she strapped in and put on the headphones. "Just hold my hand."

"Always," he promised.

Like he'd told her, the trip from Belize to the private island he'd rented for ten days wasn't long, but she'd nodded off, so he shook her gently as they were arriving.

"Caroline," he whispered. "We're here."

Caroline looked out the window, and her eyes lit up at the crystal clear waters below. "Oh, my God."

"It's all ours for the next ten days," he told her.

Caroline turned to him with a huge smile on her face before looking back out the window. "This is going to be the best vacation ever."


	8. Chapter 8

**This is the longest fanfiction chapter I've ever written, and I've been writing for a long time now. But, I did it in honor of everyone who nominated me for a Klaroline Award. Seriously, you have no idea how much it means to me to be nominated for Best Fluffy Fiction, especially when I'm nominated against two of my very favorite stories on this site. I so, so appreciated everyone who nominated me. If you'd like to vote for the awards, go to klarolineawards _dot_ tumblr _dot_ com to do so. While you're there, check out the other stories nominated if you haven't because you'll fall in love with so many of them. This fandom has some crazy talented writers; I'm amongst good company. As always, let me know what you think and check out the question I have for you at the end. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. The song used in this chapter is "You Are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne; he's pretty great.**

* * *

"No!"

Klaus jumped and dropped the stack of chairs he was carrying around the Lockwood backyard. He turned to see his wife storming towards him, a look of pure disgust on her face.

"Nik, you can't be doing chairs right now!" she chastised him. "You're supposed to be picking your family up at the airport."

"Elijah called and said he just called a car," he replied. "Take a deep breath, sweetheart. We're already married. Even if everything goes to hell on Saturday, it changes nothing about us."

"But I want it to be perfect," she complained. "And I know everyone thinks I'm doing this all for me, but I'm not. This is your wedding, too."

He took her hands in his. "Caroline, I don't care about flower arrangements or a seating chart. I care about you being happy because five years ago, I stole this day away from you by asking you to be married secretly in a courthouse. You did that for me, so I will do whatever I have to for you."

Caroline swiped at the tears in her eyes. "Oh, God. If I cry at this, what is Saturday going to be like?"

He chuckled. "It doesn't matter. Come hell or high water, we'll be married. Just like we've been. For five years."

She swatted at his chest. "Okay, okay, you're right. Thank you for helping to set up the chairs. I'm just really stressed out because we have this, a brief honeymoon, and then we're back to London so you can go into the studio."

"Yes, but having the whole summer in London will mean we have plenty of time to try for a baby," he smirked, pulling her back to him. "You know we'll probably need a lot of practice."

"I do like the sound of that," she smiled, kissing him softly.

"Can you two stop that?" Rebekah called from the back patio, having just arrived with the rest of Klaus' family. "We have two days to finish everything and this yard is still a disaster area."

"And just like that, my stress is back," Caroline grumbled. "I'll send Stefan and Kol down to help you. Elijah is going with Kat to pick up tuxes and bridesmaid dresses from the cleaner."

"What would you like me to do when we're finished down here?" he asked, trying to alleviate some of her anxiety.

"Call the DJ and make sure her list matches ours in terms of what songs _have_ to be played at the reception," she requested.

"Done", he agreed, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Tell Bekah that this isn't her wedding, so she doesn't get to make demands and boss you around."

Caroline scoffed as she began backing away towards the house. "Yeah, as if that's ever worked with her before."

* * *

Two hours later, while the men were downstairs setting up tables in the ballroom for the reception, and while Rebekah was on the phone with the florist, Caroline sat in Carol Lockwood's private bathroom with Katherine, staring at the box on the sink in front of her.

"I can't," she breathed. "There's no way."

"Care, you're pregnant," Katherine stated firmly. "Your boobs are bigger than mine now, and that doesn't just happen overnight without a reason. I can't believe Klaus hasn't noticed."

"He's more of an ass man," Caroline muttered. "I'm scared."

Katherine furrowed her brow. "Why? You two have been talking about this. You want to have kids now."

"I know, but we weren't trying yet," Caroline explained.

"Okay, but we're you actively _not_ trying?" Katherine countered. "You guys are married, so surely protection is not a high priority for you anymore."

"It isn't, but I do take the pill," the blonde replied. "I don't think I've forgotten recently."

"Well, you went to Central America what, seven weeks ago?" Katherine asked. "Can you honestly say that while there, on a private island with your husband—your first ever solo vacation together—you remembered your birth control every day? They say missing one day is all it takes."

Caroline groaned in frustration. "I don't know! I can't remember, Kat." She sat down on the toilet seat. "What if I don't fit into my dress on Saturday?"

"You had your last fitting Tuesday," Katherine reminded her. "It fits you like a glove, so if you are pregnant—which you so are—it will be fine." She knelt down in front of her best friend. "And if you're worried about Klaus, he's going to be thrilled. You have no idea how many times I've overheard him talking to Elijah about wanting kids. With you. So, take the test and be sure."

"I need him here," Caroline whispered. "I love you, Kat, but I need my husband here for this."

Katherine stood up. "I'll go find him." She pressed a rare kiss to the top of Caroline's head before exiting the bathroom and heading downstairs.

"Hey, have you seen Caroline?" Rebekah asked as the brunette passed her in the hallway.

"No," Katherine lied. "She mentioned running over to her mom's house for something though."

"Ugh," Rebekah groaned as she stalked off. "This is a terrible time for her to disappear."

Katherine found Klaus in the kitchen with Kol and Elijah. She made eye contact with him and nodded for him to join her in the stairwell.

"What is it?" he demanded.

"Care needs you," she explained, his expression instantly softening. "She's up in Carol Lockwood's bathroom."

Without another word, Klaus took off up the steps in search of his wife while Katherine joined her husband and brother-in-law. Elijah, who'd been with her when she purchased the pregnancy test, simply smiled at her while Kol wasn't looking; she winked in return.

"Sweetheart?" Klaus called out as he made his way through the master bedroom to the bathroom. He knocked. "May I come in?"

"Yes," she answered softly.

When Klaus opened the door, he found Caroline still sitting on the toilet seat, the test in her hands. He closed the door behind him and locked it before kneeling down in front of her. "Caroline?"

"I know that we weren't trying, and this will put a real wrench into our honeymoon plans if I am, but Kat said my boobs are huge and that I'm more irritable and cranky lately. I tried to pass it off as being wedding-related, but she said boobs don't just grow overnight from stress." She looked up at him. "Are you mad?"

"Mad?" he breathed in disbelief. "How could I be mad? This is what we've been wanting for a year now, love. If you're pregnant, you'll make me the happiest man on the planet. Are _you_ okay?" he wanted to know, cupping her face between his hands.

She nodded. "Yes, but I didn't want to take it without you."

"I'm glad," he smiled, pressing a kiss to the corner of her mouth before standing. "I'll turn away, because I know you hate the idea of me seeing you use the toilet."

Caroline chuckled as she opened the box to remove the test. She lifted the toilet seat and pulled her lace underwear down before sitting again to pee. When she finished, she stood up, set the test on a stack of tissues and washed her hands.

"And now, we wait," she told him.

Klaus took her hands and sat down against the palatial bathtub, pulling her to sit between his legs.

"Have you thought of any names?" he wondered, absently toying with a strand of her hair.

"Not seriously, because I thought we'd have a bit longer," she said. "I like Emilia for a girl, though, spelled like Emilia Clarke from _Game of Thrones."_

"It's pretty," he agreed. "I like Thierry for a boy."

She made a face. "He wouldn't be able to pronounce his own name until high school. That seems unfair. And guitar tech Thierry will assume we named our child after him, so no."

"All right," he smirked. "What names do you like for a boy?"

"I want a girl, so I don't know," she laughed lightly. "I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"You know that if we have a baby, Rebekah will race to have one, as well," he pointed out. "She hates being beaten to the punch on anything, and we already got married before her."

"That's okay," Caroline shrugged. "I'll want him or her to have cousins close in age, and I'm not sure Kat and Elijah will ever have kids."

"Hmm, I wouldn't count them out just yet," Klaus declared. "I think he would like to, and I think seeing you with one will make Katerina want one, as well."

"You never call her to that to her face anymore," she realized. "Why?"

"It causes a fight, because only Elijah can call her that, and you end up in the middle," he said. "That isn't fair to you, so I just stopped."

She turned slightly to kiss him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered, tracing the key on her wrist. "Remember when we got these?"

"Separately, of course," she nodded, flipping over his wrist to look at the matching lock. "We thought we were so cool and sneaky for getting them, like it was a secret 'fuck you' to the world."

Klaus laughed. "We did, huh? I quite like them still. They're permanent, whereas the rings we'll exchange tomorrow could be lost."

"True," she reasoned. "I love them, too. Even though the world knows we're married, very few people know about these, so they're still our little secret."

Before he could say anything else, the timer on his phone went off, indicating the test was complete.

Caroline took a deep breath and crawled to retrieve the test from the countertop. She held it upside down until she was settled back between his legs. "Ready?"

"More than," he confirmed.

She nervously flipped the test over and beamed at the sight of the clear-as-day pink plus sign on the small screen.

"We're having a baby," she breathed.

They stood up and he held her in his arms tightly as tears filled his eyes. "Thank you, Caroline, for giving me everything I could ever want."

She gripped him tighter as her own tears fell. "I'd say 'you're welcome,' but you've given me the same."

Klaus pulled back just enough to kiss her and then rest a hand on her still-flat stomach. For a long moment, they just stared at each other, words completely unnecessary. She reached up to kiss him again after a minute or so and then wiped away his tears with her thumbs.

"I think we should wait to announce anything to our families until it's confirmed by a doctor," he finally spoke. "I want to make sure both you and the baby are healthy first."

"Agreed," she nodded. "Kat knows though, or at least highly suspected, and I won't be able to keep the truth from her."

"Which means Elijah knows, as well," he added. "That's fine; they're the two who should know first. What about your parents?"

"Well, I can see if we can sneak away early tomorrow morning to meet with Dr. Leon," she shrugged. "She was my mom's OB/GYN, but she still practices."

"Let's do that," he said as they went back to the bedroom. "Any guesses on how far along?"

"Well, I'm pretty meticulous about taking my birth control, but I can't remember if I was so routine while we were in Cayo Espanto, so maybe then. That would put me at about seven weeks," she grinned.

Klaus smiled again. "We're having a baby."

"I'm really glad you're so happy," she told him. "I was nervous about telling you."

"Don't ever be nervous to tell me anything," he requested, cupping her cheeks. "I love you so much, Caroline."

She closed her eyes and smiled back at him. "I love you, too, Nik." She sighed. "We should probably go back downstairs before everyone starts to wonder."

"Okay," he grumbled, taking her hand and leading her to the hallway. "Let's return to reality."

* * *

The following morning, the couple woke up at six in their room at the Salvatore boarding house—where only Damon and Elena lived now—and got dressed quickly before sneaking out.

"Are you all right?" Klaus asked as they sat in the waiting room of Dr. Leon's office; she'd made a special exception to see Caroline so early.

"What if I'm not really pregnant?" she wondered nervously. "Pregnancy tests have been wrong before."

He took her hand. "I don't think it's wrong, but if it is, it will be okay. This was unplanned, so when we start trying again, it will happen. I know it."

She smiled. "Thank you for being you."

"No one else I'd rather be," he smirked.

Caroline elbowed him gently as Dr. Leon stuck her head out of her office.

"You guys can come on in," she told them.

They stood up and walked into the room.

"You look quite a bit different than the last time I saw you," Dr. Leon joked as Caroline sat on the bed and Klaus sat in the chair beside her. "It's good to see you again, Caroline."

"You, too," Caroline nodded. "This is my husband, Klaus."

Klaus shook the doctor's hand. "A pleasure."

"So, you took just one test, correct?" Dr. Leon asked, looking over her notes. "And it was clearly positive?"

"Yeah," Caroline confirmed. "We've been talking about having a baby, but we're finally having a wedding ceremony tomorrow, so we'd planned to wait until after our honeymoon. This sort of just happened, but we're really happy about it."

Dr. Leon smiled. "I like your confidence, so if you're ready, let's confirm this pregnancy."

In high school, Caroline had organized multiple blood drives, so giving blood was easy for her, but she still held her husband's hand to calm her nerves. Dr. Leon took the sample away as soon as she was finished.

"More waiting," Klaus stated. "You still good?"

"Yes," Caroline breathed. "I'm excited."

"Me, too," he told her. "I thought more about boy names last night. How would you feel about Jude, Gabriel, or Alexander? They're fairly traditional British names, but they aren't too trendy or cute."

"Hmm," Caroline considered. "I like all three, but I think I like Jude best. But we don't have to decide anything yet."

When Dr. Leon returned, she had a chart in front of her, which Caroline took as a good sign.

"Well, congratulations," the doctor grinned. "You're certainly pregnant. Based on your last menstrual cycle, I'd estimate you're just at seven weeks, making your due date around January 23."

Klaus looked up at his wife and smiled at the tears that filled her eyes at hearing confirmation of their child.

"Thank you, doctor," he spoke up.

"From here, you'll need to find a doctor you like in London," Dr. Leon recommended. She looked to Klaus. "Will you be touring anytime soon?"

"No, I just finished," he answered. "We're in London for at least the next ten months."

"Good," Dr. Leon said. "When you find a doctor there, he or she will walk you through your next steps and set up your first ultrasound."

"Okay," Caroline nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

When they finished up at the office, the couple made their way back to the boarding house to begin the day's work on the wedding. They'd decided to only tell close friends and family for now, as Caroline was fairly superstitious and didn't want to make any big announcements until she'd hit her second trimester.

"Well?" Katherine demanded as soon as she'd cornered her best friend in the dining room under the pretense of confirming food for the rehearsal that evening.

"Pregnant," Caroline whispered, "but don't react. We'll announce it tonight at dinner, and you can freak out then. If you do anything now, everyone will know you knew first—,"

"As I should," Katherine scoffed.

"—And it isn't worth dealing with Rebekah's wrath," Caroline glared, hating to be interrupted. "So keep your mouth shut."

"Yeah, yeah," Katherine rolled her eyes. "What's on the agenda for today?"

Before Caroline could respond, the front door swung open and Liz walked inside, followed closely by Bill Forbes and his husband, Stephen. Their daughter, Lily, brought up the rear, her eyes glued to her cell phone.

"Hi, Daddy!" Caroline cried, rushing to hug him.

"Care Bear," Bill smiled, holding her tightly. "How are you, sweetie?"

"I'm good," she said. "I'm so happy you're finally here." She moved to hug her stepfather. "Hi, Stephen."

"Care," Stephen greeted her warmly. "Lil, put the phone away and say hi to your sister."

Lily sighed and tucked her phone into her purse before giving Caroline an obligatory hug. "Hey."

Caroline just chuckled; she remembered being thirteen all too well. "What are you guys doing here? I didn't think we'd see you until the rehearsal tonight."

"I wanted to see the space," Stephen, an interior designer, explained. "I've only seen photos."

"And I just wanted to see you," Bill added. "It's been too long."

"It has," Caroline nodded. "Well, I'm going to eat breakfast first, but you guys are welcome to rest for a bit while I eat. Nik is around somewhere. Nik?!"

"Hi, Kitty Kat," Stephen smiled upon noticing Katherine in the next room.

"Stephen," she said by way of greeting. "You look thin."

"Pilates," he replied.

Bill hugged Katherine. "How are you, dear?"

"Still here, keeping everyone in line," she joked.

"I don't doubt that, "he laughed.

Klaus appeared then, followed by Elijah and Stefan. He greeted Caroline's father and Stephen while she made her way to the kitchen for something to eat.

"Morning," Kol mumbled from his place at the small kitchen table. "Where did you two sneak off to so early?"

"We had some stuff to get for the honeymoon," she lied smoothly. "Where's Bonnie?"

"Still asleep," he answered. "I just came down for some coffee, but I'm going back up. She's not feeling well, so she wants to take it easy to be good for tomorrow."

"Okay," Caroline said as she found a bowl for cereal. "Tell her I hope she feels better."

"Sure," Kol nodded as he stood up. "Should I tell her you're pregnant, too, or would you prefer to?"

"What?" she breathed, looking up at him like a deer in headlights.

"Darling, you know I know your bra size," he smirked, making his way towards the stairs. "Don't worry, your secret is safe...for now."

Caroline groaned and pressed her forehead against the refrigerator.

"Ah, Kol's been here," Elijah spoke up as he joined her to refill his tea cup.

"Mm-hmm," was all she said. "He knows."

Elijah filled his cup and leaned against the counter to face her. "As daunting as that seems, he's surprisingly good at keeping secrets. He knew before anyone when I was going to propose to Katerina, and he kept quiet for two weeks. This time, he only has to stay quiet for less than half a day."

"You're right," she sighed.

"And Caroline?" he said, causing her to look at him as he walked towards the living room. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she smiled.

* * *

That evening, after rehearsing at the Lockwood mansion, everyone closest to Caroline and Klaus went back to her mother's house for an outdoor rehearsal dinner. Upon arrival, however, she was surprised to find a stage had been set up.

"What is that?" she asked her husband.

"It looks like a stage, Caroline," he answered innocently.

"Nik," she warned. "Why is it here, at our rehearsal dinner?"

"Well, a stage, if I'm not mistaken, is often used for a performance of some sort," he explained sarcastically.

She frowned. "Will you stop?"

"Will you relax?" he countered, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Everything is ready for tomorrow, so there's nothing else for you to worry about. Worry, I hear, can be bad for the baby."

She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're right, I'm sorry. Are you singing 'Give Me Love?'"

"Nope," he denied. "That's our wedding song, so we'll dance to it tomorrow. This is our rehearsal dinner, which warrants something else."

She smiled. "I love you."

"I know," he teased. "Now, come on, let's eat."

Once everyone was finished eating, and the speeches had been given, Klaus led Caroline to a chair situated in front of the stage. He then went up and picked up his guitar, as Stefan, Marcel, and Josh went to their instruments, as well. Caroline was shocked, however, when Henrik joined them with his trombone.

"I want to say thank you to everyone for being here tonight to celebrate with Caroline and I," Klaus said into his microphone. "I know that as of tomorrow, we will have been married for five years, but we never got to have a real wedding, so I'm so happy that I can give her one now." He smiled down at his wife. "I am who I am today because of you, Caroline. Before you came along, I was a mess, but you managed to see past all of that, and now, I'm the happiest I could ever be. 'Give Me Love' will always be our song, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a backup." He looked to Josh to count off on the drums. "This song is called 'You Are the Best Thing.'"

_Baby _

_It's been a long day, baby_

_Things ain't been going my way _

_And now i need you here _

_To clear my mind all the time_

_And baby _

_The way you move me, it's crazy _

_It's like you see right through me _

_And make it easier _

_Believe me, you don't even have to try_

_Oh, because _

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing) _

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing, baby) _

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing, oooh) _

_Ever happened to me_

_Baby _

_We've come a long way _

_And baby _

_You know I hope and I pray _

_That you believe me _

_When I say this love will never fade away_

_Oh, because_

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing) _

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing, baby) _

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing, oooh) _

_Ever happened to me_

_Both of us had no love before (to come on promising like a spring to walk on out the door)_

_Our words are strong and our hearts are kind_

_Let me tell you just exactly what's on my mind_

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing) _

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing, baby) _

_You are the best thing (you're the best thing, oooh) _

_Ever happened to me_

As the band finished playing, Caroline, wearing a white maxi dress, hurried up to the stage to throw her arms around Klaus, shoving his guitar out of the way as she did.

"I love it," she whispered, wiping away her tears. "You really have to stop making me cry like this; I hear it's fairly common for pregnant ladies, so you're going to get a lot of it for the next eight months or so."

"Shall we tell them now?" he wondered, keeping her close to him.

Caroline cleared her throat and stood at the microphone. "As Klaus already said, thank you so much to everyone for being here tonight. It means so much to us, especially having my dad, Stephen, and Lily here from Atlanta. Uh, I know speeches already wrapped up, but um, Klaus and I wanted to make an announcement before everyone leaves." She reached down to take his hand. "We're having a baby."

"What?!" Liz exclaimed, jumping up from her seat. "She smiled brightly. I'm going to be a grandma?"

"Yes," Caroline confirmed as everyone left the stage to return to the yard. "I took a test yesterday and Dr. Leon confirmed it for us this morning."

"Oh, Care," Bill breathed, pulling her into a hug. "Congratulations, honey."

"Thanks, Daddy," she replied, smiling as Klaus hugged her mother. "We're really excited."

Klaus moved onto Rebekah next. "You'll be an aunt."

She made a face. "I'll never beat you two at anything, will I?" She grinned. "But congratulations, Nik. You'll make an excellent father, and Caroline will be an even better mum."

"Thank you," he accepted as Kol approached. "No more creepy comments about Caroline's bra size, okay?"

"Oh, stop," Kol rolled his eyes. "It's one of my many talents. I can't even help doing it."

"Did he know?!" Rebekah realized.

"He figured it out," Klaus explained. "We told no one."

"Except me," Katherine spoke up. "I knew."

"So Elijah knew," Rebekah filled in. "What the hell, Nik? I'm your favorite sibling!"

"I'm not going to argue with you," Klaus told his sister. "Caroline and I are having a baby, and I'm extremely happy about it. If your first instinct is to be mad that I didn't tell you immediately, you need to sort out your priorities." Before she could respond, he turned away and went in search of Caroline.

"Don't be a bitch, Bek," Katherine advised as she backed away from the blonde girl, as well.

"Dr. Leon said I'm seven weeks, so we're only telling you all for now," Caroline explained to her parents. "My due date is roughly January 23, but I'll have to see a doctor in London once we go back."

Liz nodded. "Whoever you see there will get you on prenatal vitamins and set a diet."

"Uh-oh," Klaus murmured as he joined them. "Caroline on a diet means I'll be on a diet."

"Definitely," Caroline confirmed. "Also, no alcohol."

"Now, sweetheart, let's not be hasty," he recommended. "What if I cut back?"

"Oh, I have a feeling I'll be glad to not be around for much of this pregnancy," Stephen laughed. "You two are the most stubborn people I know, so it's going to be a bloodbath."

"I don't think so," Caroline defended herself and her husband. "Nik is really good about knowing when to back off on something, so he'll be all right. I'll probably be a nightmare, but he's good at dealing with me when I'm like that." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "You'll be nice to me while I'm pregnant, right?"

"I'm nice to you all the time," he murmured, kissing her forehead.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Stephen wanted to know. "You're already married, so it isn't like you have to split, but you've been trying to make up for what you missed out on last time."

"I'm staying at the Gilbert house with Kat, Elena, and Bonnie," Caroline said. "Rebekah will stay at the boarding house with the guys to make sure they're up and on time in the morning before joining us to get ready."

Klaus checked his watch. "It's getting late, so if we're all to be up by eight, we should probably start cleaning up."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Liz waved him off. "Bill and Stephen will help with all of this."

Stephen made a face. "I will?"

"Yes," Bill answered.

"Okay," Caroline yawned as exhaustion settled in. "Dad, Stephen, you should be at the boarding house tomorrow by noon. Mom, you'll come to the Gilbert's first, and then we'll all go over there together."

"Got it," Liz complied. She hugged her daughter. "I can't believe you're going to be a mom. I'm so happy for you two."

"Thanks, Mommy," Caroline whispered. "I love you."

Liz kissed Caroline's head and released her. "Is Katherine driving you to her parents' house?"

"Yes," Caroline confirmed. "Elijah will ride back with Nik. We'll see you all tomorrow."

Klaus led Caroline out to their rented car to put her bags into Grayson Gilbert's Range Rover; her dress had been sent there earlier that day.

"This will be weird," she muttered as he placed her bags in the back of the SUV. "We never spend nights apart."

"I know," he replied. "Are you going to be all right?"

She smirked. "I'll be fine. Katherine is the one I'm worried about. Her relationship with Elena isn't great, and her relationship with Grayson and Miranda is worse. It's going to be a volatile twelve hours."

"No stress," he advised. "I'll tell her if I must."

"We'll lock ourselves in her old room and it will be fine," she assured him. "Don't stay up too late drinking. I know Kol will try to get you to, but tomorrow is a big day. Also, no shaving. You'll have just the right amount of scruff, and I hate when your face is bare."

He grinned. "All right, no shaving. Are you wearing your hair down? You know that's how I like it best."

"Down for the ceremony, up for the reception," she answered. She reached up to kiss him. "I'll see you tomorrow, I suppose."

"You could run if you want, but you're already stuck with me," Klaus joked, kissing her again.

"Hmm, good point," she nodded. "I guess I'll show up then. I'll be in white, in case you weren't sure."

Klaus nodded. "Good to know."

"Caroline, let's go!" Katherine called as she emerged from the backyard.

"I've been waiting for you," Caroline shot back. "You were flirting with Stephen."

"Can't help it," Katherine shrugged. "He thinks I'm fabulous." She opened the driver's side door and climbed in, blowing a kiss at her husband as she slammed the door.

"Have a nice evening," Klaus said as he walked to the passenger side with Caroline. "I'm sure Rebekah will have us on a tight schedule tomorrow, so we'll all be ready when you arrive at noon."

"Good," she whispered, kissing him one last time. "Goodnight."

"Ugh, you two are the worst," Katherine complained as she backed out of Liz's driveway seconds later. "You've been married for five years; the honeymoon period should be over."

"I've read that it can start all over again when a couple finds out they're having a baby," Caroline reported. "London will be hell for you all this summer cause my husband is sexy and my hormones will rage."

"You realize that as soon as you land from your actual honeymoon, Elijah will be up your ass about dealing with the press for all this," Katherine pointed out. "On top of being his pregnant wife, you're also Klaus's publicist."

"I am?!" Caroline gasped facetiously. "I thought I was paid because I sleep with him."

"Ha-ha," Katherine deadpanned. "I'm just saying, Elijah will give you this time to have your wedding and honeymoon, but my husband isn't one to just twiddle his thumbs when there's work to be done."

"I'm aware, Kat," Caroline grumbled. "I work with him on a daily basis. After the honeymoon, it'll go back to business as usual while Nik goes into the studio. As for the baby, we don't need to announce anything until it's obvious. No one who was at the dinner tonight will sell us out, so we're safe for a while. I'll probably tell Enzo tomorrow because I love him, but he won't say anything either."

Katherine parked in her parents' driveway when they reached the Gilbert home and sighed as she looked up at the house. "I haven't spent a night here since I was nineteen. It's been almost nine years."

Caroline patted her best friend's leg. "It will be fine. It's just one night, and they'll be happy to see you."

Elena and Bonnie, who'd left the rehearsal earlier, came out to help the two carry everything inside to the formal sitting room where they would get ready the following day. The gold, sequined bridesmaid dresses were hanging on a rolling rack Bonnie had brought along from New York while Caroline's gown hung from a hook in the ceiling.

"What time will Rebekah be here tomorrow?" Bonnie asked.

"Nine," Caroline recalled. "She'll stay there long enough to get everyone up and pass the responsibility along to Elijah."

Elena sighed. "You know, this is the first time the four of us will have hung out since high school and now, you three make me feel inadequate."

Caroline quickly shot Katherine a warning look before turning to Elena. "Don't say that."

"It's true," Elena shrugged. "Bonnie is a supermodel, Kat manages tours for one of the most famous musicians in the world, and you're his publicist/wife. I've barely ever even left Mystic Falls."

"Different strokes for different folks," Caroline replied, using an old idiom her grandmother used to spout out. "You love it here; we didn't."

"I guess," Elena mumbled. "I just always thought I'd see the world."

"No, you always thought you were better than us, so it bothers you to see us doing so well while you're stuck here, married to the actual spawn of Satan," Katherine corrected. "Don't play the victim now, St. Elena, not when you were so condescending when we were kids."

Sensing a twin fight, Caroline and Bonnie made eye contact and pushed their respective twin out of the room in opposite directions.

"Why do you do that?" Caroline asked once she'd gotten Katherine safely to her childhood bedroom. "You're twenty-eight-years-old, Kat. It's time to let it go."

"She's easy to rile up," Katherine said as she fell onto her bed.

There was a knock at the door then and it opened to reveal Miranda in her pajamas.

"Katerina, why is it you've been in the house five minutes and you're already starting fights with your sister?" she wanted to know.

Katherine rolled away from the door. "It's what I do, _Miranda_."

Caroline frowned apologetically at the woman. "It's been a long day, so she's just tired. Thank you for letting us all stay here, Miranda."

Miranda smiled softly. "It's our pleasure. It's nice having you girls all under our roof again. Hell, I shouldn't even be upset they're fighting; it's like old times."

"Must be," Katherine grumbled. "You're defending your favorite child, as always. Poor Jeremy and I never stood a chance, did we? But at least he's got Grayson."

"Oh, Katherine," Miranda sighed. "Don't stay up too late, girls. I'll have breakfast in the morning."

Once Miranda was gone, Katherine turned back to Caroline. "If you have more kids, don't ever let one feel more important than the other. It can really fuck a person up."

Caroline kicked off her shoes and crawled into the bed to lie beside her friend. "I love you, Kat, and your parents do, too. Who cares if you aren't exactly what they wanted you to be? You're happy and successful. You married a guy who thinks you're the most beautiful person he's ever seen, and you have a pretty spectacular extended family in London. Nik wouldn't be half as great on tour without you. Not that _he'd_ ever admit that, but we all know it."

"You don't have to do this, Caroline," Katherine told her. "You don't have to try to make me feel better. I'm used to being the black sheep of House Gilbert. It's why I went by Pierce for long."

"I just want you to know that you're loved by the people who matter most to you," Caroline shrugged. "That's all."

"I know," Katherine smiled. "I love you, too."

* * *

Caroline woke up the following morning and stared up at the ceiling as Katherine slept soundly beside her. She had the urge to call Klaus, as it was their five-year anniversary, but part of their plan was to have no communication until they met up at noon. She placed a hand on her stomach and smiled, her thoughts traveling to her unborn child. In just under eight months, she and Klaus we're going to have a baby. They would be responsible for another human's life, and while parts of that terrified her, Caroline was mostly thrilled. They wanted to be parents. Klaus wanted to give his child everything his two fathers had never given him, and Caroline just wanted to be half the mother hers was; in her mind, Liz Forbes was perfect, regardless of the year after the divorce when Caroline had spent more time with the Gilberts than Liz liked to admit.

Before she could think about the baby any longer, her phone rang on the bedside table next to her, flashing Kol's number.

"Color me shocked," she answered. "When is the last time you were awake before nine?"

"Childhood," he grumbled, "but my brother and sister-in-law are getting real married today, so alas, I'm awake. Nik says you two aren't allowed to speak yet, so I'm calling on his behalf to wish you a happy anniversary."

She felt her cheeks heat up at just the thought behind Klaus' gesture. "Thanks, Kol. And tell him I say the same. I can't wait to see him in a few hours."

Kol made a face, causing Klaus to chuckle at him from across the kitchen table. "She says she hates you and will actually be delivering divorce papers today."

"Kol!" Caroline scoffed. "God, you're an asshole." She hung up and tossed her phone aside.

"I'm not Bonnie's biggest fan, but how does she stand him?" Katherine asked from under her pillow. "I hate working with him, but at least I'm paid. She sleeps with him voluntarily."

"I'm not entirely convinced he doesn't use some kind of mind control," Caroline joked.

"I'd believe it," Katherine yawned. "What time is it?"

"Eight-fifteen," the blonde said. "I'm gonna get up and shower."

Katherine mumbled something incoherently as she curled back up under the blankets.

"Morning, Caroline," Grayson greeted the bride down in the dining room after she'd showered and dried her hair. "Ready for today?"

"I am," she nodded, pouring a cup of coffee. "I mean, we've been married for five years today, but this is the wedding we never got to have. It's just as much about him as it is about me."

Grayson smiled. "I'm sure he'll be happy with whatever makes you happy."

"I know," she smirked, joining him at the table. "Um, can I ask you a question?"

He set the newspaper aside and gave her his full attention. "Go for it."

"Why don't you and Miranda ever come visit Katherine in London?" she wondered softly. "I know it isn't really my business, but Kat is my best friend, so I'm butting in. I know Elena stayed here, but Jeremy is in San Francisco and you guys visit him all the time, if Miranda's Facebook is any indicator. Kat has lived in London now for eight years and you've never been. I'd ask Miranda, but she gets really emotional, and you're more rational, so I'm asking you."

Grayson cleared his throat. "You're still just as blunt as you were when you were a kid, but you also show steadfast loyalty to my daughter, which I appreciate more than you'll ever know. Katerina has always followed her own path. She's so smart and entirely self-sufficient; she has been since she was eleven. As a parent, that's hard, because you want to be able to provide for your kids until they leave your house. You'll understand when you have kids of your own. With her, it was a struggle. She always wanted more freedom than Miranda and I were willing to give, and that drove a wedge between us. When Elijah came along, he managed to sweep her off her feet, and in doing that, she went to London, married at twenty." He sat back in his chair, realizing he hadn't thought about this in a long time. "For my part, I've been so afraid that if we just showed up on her doorstep, it would make things worse. I want her to come to me."

Caroline shook her head sadly. "But that isn't Kat. Two years ago, Klaus had to go to New York for a couple of days, but I had things going on at home, so I stayed back and Elijah went. She ended up with pneumonia and by the time she finally asked me to come over and help her, she was literally on her bedroom floor in a puddle of her own sweat. She doesn't ask for anything; she gets it herself."

"You're right," he agreed, "but as her dad, that isn't easy to accept. You'll always want to be needed by your kids, even after they're adults with lives of their own."

Caroline could see that it upset him that he wasn't as close to Katherine as he was to his two other children. "You'd be surprised by how receptive she'd be to you guys visiting. She'll pretend like it's a major imposition, but that's a facade, trust me."

He opened his mouth to respond, but Katherine joined them, followed by Elena and Bonnie. "Morning, ladies," he said instead.

"Mm," Katherine grunted. "What time are the people coming to make me presentable?"

"Nine, like I said last night," Caroline reported. "Bekah should be here soon, too."

"Girls, the hair and makeup team just pulled up with Liz," Miranda announced as she approached with a fruit tray. "I say we move this into the sitting room."

While the girls had their hair and makeup done (once Rebekah arrived only fifteen minutes late), the photographer showed up to begin capturing the day.

"Okay, so I wanted your gifts to be something meaningful," Caroline explained before the girls prepared to put their dresses on. "I know I said I just wanted you to wear nude heels with your dresses, but I lied." She went to a large shopping bag in the corner and came back balancing four shoe boxes in her arms. "Nik used his pull a bit, but I managed to work with Christian Louboutin to customize a pair of shoes for each of you, because if there's one thing that brings you four very different women together, it's shoes." She passed them out to each bridesmaid. "I hope you like them."

Katherine opened here first to find a pair of patent leather, six-inch stilettos with her name stitched into the red bottom in loopy black script. "Caroline Mikaelson, you bitch. These are the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

"Agreed," Bonnie breathed, admiring her own black pair with straps across her feet. "I'm never taking these off."

Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "Kol might like that."

Pleased they liked their gifts so much, Caroline hugged each of her friends, spending just a second longer with Katherine.

"Okay," she grinned. "Let's get dressed."

Caroline's one-of-a-kind Vera Wang dress was winter white and strapless. It was mostly made of organza, and as Katherine had said, it clung to every curve of her body like a glove before flaring out at her ankles in a pool of chiffon and tulle. A rose gold belt cinched around her waist to match the sequined dresses her friends would be wearing.

"Oh, Caroline," Liz breathed. "You look so beautiful."

"Thanks," Caroline beamed, checking her reflection and running her hands over her stomach. "It looks okay?"

"No one will know you're with child," Katherine assured her. "You look thinner than ever."

"It's quarter to twelve," Rebekah spoke up. "The SUV is here, so we should start making our way to the boarding house."

"Remember, when we get there, Caroline is getting out first and she'll meet Klaus in the foyer for their first-look," Katherine explained once they were in the vehicle, her inner tour manager coming out to organize everything. "Rebekah, if you so much as hang a leg out the door, I'll cut it off."

Rebekah shot her a look. "I'm not an idiot."

The SUV pulled up to the Salvatore house at almost exactly noon, and the driver came around to help Caroline out. She took a deep breath and made her way up the walkway to the door before pushing it open to find Klaus with his back to her. The photographer followed, closing the door behind him so Caroline could step forward and softly clear her throat behind her husband. Klaus turned slowly and instantly felt his heart drop to his stomach. He eyed her up and down and then took a moment before speaking.

"You're stunning," he finally choked out. He took her hand and twirled her around for the full effect. "Really, Caroline, you're a vision. I can't believe I missed out on this the first time we did this."

She smiled brightly as the click of the camera could be heard. "You look amazing. Why don't you wear a tux more often?"

"Because I feel ridiculous in it," he answered, pulling her to him. "But for you, I'll wear more often."

Caroline kissed him then, careful not to mess up her pale pink lipstick. "Happy anniversary, Nik."

"Happy anniversary, Caroline," he repeated. "I'm very glad to be marrying you again today."

"Me, too," she whispered, kissing him again. "I love you."

"And I, you," he murmured.

"I could stand here with you all day, but we have a wedding to get to," she sighed, signaling to the photographer that he could get the other girls and her mother. "Boys?!"

Kol immediately hurried down the stairs, looking much nicer than usual in his own tuxedo. "I tried so hard to eavesdrop but Elijah started to get violent."

"I merely kept him away from the door," Elijah said as he appeared with Henrik and Stefan. "It wasn't a moment he was meant to be a part of." The girls walked inside then and he caught a glimpse of his wife. "Katerina, you look beautiful."

She smiled, a rare occurrence from Katherine Pierce-Mikaelson. "Thanks, doll. You look pretty dashing yourself."

* * *

After nearly five hours of pictures, which wrapped up at the Lockwood mansion, the bridal party made their way to a lounge upstairs to wait while guests began to arrive.

"I still don't understand why you invited Tyler," Katherine grumbled as she sipped champagne and looked through the curtains to the backyard with Kol. "He's still such a smug douche."

"His parents let us use their home to be married," Caroline reminded her. "It would be pretty rude not to invite him. Also, it's been almost a decade since we broke up and I'm a million times happier now."

Kol followed Katherine's gaze. "I'm with Kitty on this one: smug douche."

"Takes one to know one," Rebekah joked under her breath.

"_Takes one to know one_," Kol mimicked in a childish voice.

"Stop it," Klaus warned his siblings. "Act your ages."

"That would be a first," Henrik smirked.

Caroline couldn't help but smile at her family. They were obnoxious and crass (mostly Kol, but sometimes Katherine), but they were hers and she loved them.

The ceremony was short, but lovely. A local judge Caroline had known since infancy married them in front of one hundred guests, mostly made up of friends and family. A few of Klaus' friends from the music industry had shown up, but they kept to themselves and stayed under the radar, which Caroline appreciated. Her vows were sweet and optimistic; his were poetic and almost lyrical. But by the end, it was clear to everyone in attendance that they were head over heels in love and had been for a long time.

They danced to 'Give Me Love' for their first dance at the reception, but Klaus didn't sing it this time. Instead, he led her around the dance floor and they shared some of their favorite memories of their first five years together. She tried to convince him they were having a girl to name Emilia, and he just let her go with it, pleased to see her practically glowing at the thought of motherhood. Katherine's maid of honor speech was surprisingly sincere, but she managed to weasel in a 'you hurt her, I'll kill you' at the end. Elijah, as expected, was regal and almost professional, but those closest to him heard the undertone of love and affection for the couple.

Everyone spent the night dancing and enjoying themselves, much to Caroline's great pride. As the evening wore down and people started to trickle out, she managed to sit down at the sweetheart table to kick off her shoes.

"So, Mrs. Mikaelson, was it everything you hoped it would be?" Klaus asked as he joined her.

"More," she yawned, leaning her head on his shoulder. "But it doesn't matter; I was already married to you anyway."

Klaus pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Here's to the rest of our lives together, love."

A sleepy smile took over her face. "I do like the sound of that."

* * *

**Okay, so here's my dilemma. This story was nominated in the Best Fluffy Fiction category, which means there's like, little to no angst in it. What I had planned for the next chapter would include quite a bit of angst and would be pretty sad; it has to do with a song I had in mind. As readers, how would you feel about reading that in this story? Would angst be too out of place? I'm totally open to whatever you guys say; I trust you. Just let me know. Thanks.**


	9. Chapter 9

**I try to avoid long notes at the beginning, and I won't be offended if you skip this, but there are a couple of things I wanted to address. One: thanks again to everyone who nominated and voted for me in the Klaroline Awards this year. I didn't win, but just being nominated for the first time was super cool. Congrats to Sophia Chase for Best Fluffy Fiction; I love "Keeping Up Appearances." Two: I apologize to anyone whose first thought when I mentioned including some angst was Ed Sheeran's "Small Bump." I get why you went there, as Caroline and Klaus had just announced a pregnancy, but that song even makes me sad, so that was never my angsty intention. But I'm going to scrap what I was planning because this story just isn't the place for it. Three: I don't watch _The Originals _anymore, but from what I've gathered, Freya is actually a long-lost sibling or something, but that didn't work in this story, so she's a cousin. I literally know nothing about what she's like, so I used a little creative freedom. And four: I know Macklemore's song with Ed Sheeran is really called "Growing Up (Sloane's Song)," but for the sake of this story, I took out the part in parentheses. As always, thank you and let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

"Tell me you still love me, even though I'm the size of a small orca," Caroline whined as she made her way into her and Klaus' kitchen.

"More today than yesterday," he confirmed with a smile. "And I especially love you the size you are now," he went on, leaving out the 'whale' comment for his own safety, "because you're carrying our child. I can't wait to meet him."

"I can't wait for him to make his exit," she grumbled, settling down into a chair in the breakfast nook. "At least I'm this pregnant in December and not the middle of July. I'd probably have committed murder by now if I were."

Klaus just chuckled at his wife's flair for the dramatic. "What time is the shower today?"

"Two," she answered. "Bekah is picking me up at quarter til, but you'll have to come after cause we'll need to haul everything back here."

"Okay," he agreed. "What time would you like me there?"

"Five or so," she shrugged. "Why Katherine insisted on having this shower a week before Christmas is beyond me. Why couldn't she wait until January?"

"She and Elijah are going on their tour of Italy then," Klaus reminded her. "They leave the second and won't return until the nineteenth."

"What if I go into labor early?" Caroline worried. "I need my best friend to be there."

"I'm not good enough?" he scoffed.

"Of course you are," she assured him, "but she's important, too. We do want her to be his godmother, do we not?"

"_You_ do," Klaus smirked. "I said yes because you agreed to Elijah being his godfather without complaint."

"I just like the idea of the godparents being married," she reasoned. "Should something happen to us—God forbid—he'll still stay in one place and have his family."

Klaus made a face. "Don't talk like that."

"I'm just being cautious," she said. "We're going to be fine."

"In that case, we should probably talk names again," he sighed, knowing it would inevitably lead to an argument.

She frowned. "Do we have to? Can't we just wait until he's here and name him then?"

"You and I both know you'll go crazy that way," he pointed out. "Are you still keen on Liam?"

"I also like Jude and that was one of your original choices back in May!" she cried. "You're a flip-flipper."

Klaus just rolled his eyes. "If we name him Jude, I'll be accused of naming him for the Beatles song. I quite like Asher now."

"No," she shook her head. "Not going to happen. I hate that."

"Well, do we at least still agree that his middle name will be Forbes, right?" he wanted to know. "His three names should roll off the tongue smoothly."

"We agree," she nodded. "So Something Forbes Mikaelson."

"What about Rory?" he tossed out. "I like that."

"Rory," Caroline repeated. "Rory Forbes Mikaelson. Hmm. I don't hate it, but I don't know that I love it either. It kind of reminds me of Rory Gilmore."

Klaus furrowed his brow. "Do I know him?"

"_She," _Caroline emphasized, "was a character on a television show that was popular when I was in high school. Isn't there a golfer named Rory, too?"

"You'd have to ask Kol," he replied. "I don't know anything about golf."

Caroline groaned and gently beat her head against the table. "Let's just let him name himself when he's old enough. We'll call him 'Baby' until then."

He grinned. "I fear what he'd choose someday. I've seen _Big Daddy_; no son of mine will be called Frankenstein."

"Julian!" she exclaimed suddenly, looking up at him once again. "Julian Forbes Mikaelson."

"Julian," he mused. "I like Julian."

Caroline beamed. "So we're agreeing on Julian?"

"We are agreeing on Julian," he confirmed, reaching for her hand from across the table. "Kol will probably call him Jules, you know."

"There are worse nicknames," she grumbled. "I'll just be happy if he doesn't call him Julie or Julia."

"I'm sure he'll do that, too," he laughed.

Caroline pressed a hand to her stomach. "Ooh, he's energetic this morning."

Klaus moved around the table to place a hand next to hers to feel his son kicking. "Oh, wow. That will never cease to amaze me."

"Yeah, well, get your amazement in now because this is going to be our one and only child," she told him. "I am so not one of those women who likes being pregnant."

"No?" he murmured, nuzzling into her neck. "But we're so good at making him."

"Oh, I like that part," she assured him. "It's the nine months after that fucking suck for me."

Klaus pressed a kiss to her jaw and stood up to get her something to eat. "Oatmeal or yogurt?"

"Can't I have something greasy?" she complained. "I'm tired of eating healthy. It's boring. And God, I'd saw off my right arm for a glass of wine."

"Four more weeks," he grinned as he pulled the yogurt and fruit from the fridge. "And then I'll just hook you up to an IV filled with rosé."

"Don't tease me," she pouted.

"Sweetheart, I haven't had any alcohol in just as long," Klaus reminded her.

"Liar!" she cried. "You totally drank at Enzo's engagement party. I watched you!"

"Oh, that was one shot," he scoffed. "It hardly counts."

"It's more than I've had," she mumbled.

"Isn't he worth it?" he wondered, mixing the fruit and yogurt together.

"We'll see," she joked.

By the time Rebekah picked Caroline up, the American was in a foul mood. Julian, as he was now called, had been sitting on her bladder all day, so she was uncomfortable and cranky.

"If you're going to be in a bad mood, I'll take you back home and Nik can deal with you," Rebekah snapped after listening to Caroline complain about the cold. "It's December in London, Caroline. Of course it's cold!"

Caroline glared at her sister-in-law. "Well, excuse me for being eight months pregnant with another human inside my body."

"Like, half a million babies are born every day," Rebekah reported. "This isn't anything new, and you guys wanted this. Stop making the rest of us miserable about it. We've put together a really lovely baby shower for you, so if you're going to ruin it by being heinous, tell me now."

"I'm not," Caroline muttered. "It's just been a long day already and it isn't even two. At the party, I'll make sure to only complain to Kat if it bothers you so much."

"I understand that being pregnant is no picnic," Rebekah said, "but stop complaining. A month from now, you're going to be a mother, and that's something I'd kill for."

Caroline glanced at her. "You guys want to have a baby?"

"_I_ do," Rebekah corrected her sadly. "Stefan says he isn't ready yet."

"Why?" Caroline wondered. "He's great with kids."

"He says since we've only been married just over a year, we should wait," Rebekah explained. "He says that once we're parents, our alone time with decrease significantly, and he likes having me all to himself right now."

"Well, that's sort of sweet," Caroline offered, feeling her maternal instinct kick in. "And it isn't as though he never wants children, right?"

"He does," Rebekah sighed, "but I want us all to have kids close in age, you know? I don't want your baby to be so much older than mine."

"You do realize I'm only having this one, right?" Caroline asked her. "Katherine will likely never have a child, and Bonnie and Kol are too unstable to even think about moving in together, let alone planning for a family. You're the only one of us I see having more than one baby."

"I want four," Rebekah declared as she pulled up the driveway to Katherine and Elijah's house. "Stefan says he thinks three will be plenty, but I'll convince him otherwise. I'm just hopeful I'll do it sooner rather than later."

"I'm sure you will," Caroline said as she carefully climbed out of Rebekah's Mercedes SUV. "You'll be pregnant before you know it."

"Don't come in yet!" Katherine yelled as she hurried outside. "There's one last surprise that we're setting up."

"Damn it, Katherine," Caroline swore. "I told you I didn't want anything over-the-top."

"Oh, please," the brunette rolled her eyes. "I've known you my entire life. When have you ever not wanted a party to be over-the-top? You had camel rides at your Senior Blast-off in high school."

"She was in a mood earlier," Rebekah warned. "I wouldn't push her."

Katherine, perhaps the only person on the planet who wasn't intimidated by Caroline, just waved Rebekah off. "It'll be fine. You'll love it, Care."

"Fine," Caroline sighed. "How much longer though? It is freezing and I'm maintaining body heat for two here."

Bonnie stuck her head out the front door then. "It's all ready, Kat."

"Okay," Katherine nodded. "Come on."

She took Caroline's hand and led her into the house, where Caroline was immediately greeted by the sound of a crying baby.

"Who brought their kid?" Caroline whispered.

"Freya," Katherine muttered, referring to the Mikaelsons' cousin. "She's going to give you more advice than you'd ever want because she thinks she's Super Mom."

"Didn't her oldest kid end up in the hospital last year because Freya actually let her eat dirt?" Caroline laughed softly, waving at her guests.

"I said _she_ thinks she's Super Mom," Katherine smirked. "I think she's incredibly annoying."

"Caroline!" Freya called her over to where she was sitting on one of the couches in the formal sitting room. "Come, sit with me for a moment."

"Ugh," Caroline groaned quietly as she walked over to the older woman. "Hi, Freya."

Freya bounced her crying youngest daughter, Hilaria, on her chest. "How are you feeling? Have you read those articles on co-sleeping that I sent you? There really are so many benefits to it."

"Mm-hmm," Caroline lied, having never even opened the attachments. "Nik and I have talked about it, and I think we're going to skip the co-sleeping though. My mother bought us a beautiful bassinet to put next to our bed, so he'll be right beside us."

Freya frowned. "You should really reconsider. It's best for the baby."

"I'll bring it up to Nik again," Caroline said. "I should really go and say hello to some of the other guests." She stood up and hurried away to the kitchen, where she found Katherine standing with Bonnie and Elena, who'd flown over for the shower and Christmas; the rest of the Gilbert family would arrive within the week. "Oh, my God, she's the worst."

"Told you," Katherine taunted. "She's one mommy blog away from being completely insufferable and uninvited to all family functions."

"Can't our faction of the family just decide that anyway?" Caroline suggested. "She accosted me within seconds and I'm only pregnant. What's she going to be like when the baby is here? Oh! Speaking of, we decided on a name."

Elena lit up. "What is it?"

"Julian Forbes Mikaelson," Caroline recited, loving how it sounded. "We've been fighting pretty much since we found out he's a boy, and then this morning, he made a joke about _Big Daddy, _and I remembered the kid's name being Julian, and I just liked it."

"I like Julian," Katherine nodded. "Kol will call him Julie, but it's nice."

"He won't," Bonnie denied. "Not if he wants me to continue sleeping with him."

Before Caroline could say anything else, Rebekah stormed in and huffed in frustration. "Can you bitches please come out here? If I have to listen to Freya and my grandmother argue any longer about the pros and cons of making your own baby food, I'm going to set this house on fire."

Caroline laughed. "Yes, let's go in. I'm hungry."

"What's new?" Rebekah joked to Katherine as they followed her back to the sitting room.

"I told you when you first got here that we had a surprise for you," Katherine began as Caroline finished opening her gifts. She nodded to Rebekah, who disappeared into Elijah's office momentarily. "This is something Rebekah, Bonnie, and I have been working on for the last month or so, so you better like it, princess."

Rebekah reemerged, carrying a tall gift-wrapped present in her arms. She set it down in front of the pregnant woman and stepped back.

Tentatively, Caroline unwrapped the gift and laughed upon seeing what was inside. Her friends had worked together to have a miniature replica of the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens built. "You guys!"

"It's for his room," Bonnie explained. "We told Klaus about it, and he said there would be a place for it."

"It's lovely," Caroline breathed, standing up to hug them all. "Thank you."

By the time the shower—which was lovely, and very tastefully done—was over, Caroline and Klaus had acquired more baby stuff than they would ever know what to do with.

"What is this thing?" he asked once he'd arrived to load up his Range Rover.

Caroline looked at the box he was holding. "It's a bottle warmer."

"You're going to breast feed," he recalled. "Why do we need a bottle warmer?"

"Well, I won't breast feed forever," she answered. "And when you're with him and I'm out, he won't have my boobs there, so you'll need bottles to put my pumped milk into."

"Hey, have you guys decided what you're going to do about a nanny?" Bonnie wondered as she helped them carry things out to the SUV.

"We aren't going to have one," Klaus said. "We always had nannies, and our parents used them as an excuse to avoid and neglect us. Caroline and I wouldn't do that, but we refuse to even risk it."

Rebekah made a face. "What are you going to do, take him on tour?"

"Some," Caroline shrugged. "I will cut back on touring, and he's gonna cut back on how long tours last. The tour for _Hybrid_ starts in March, and it'll only last until mid-July. That's significantly shorter than usual, and Julian and I will join occasionally."

"Oh, but Freya would disapprove," Katherine teased. _"A tour bus is no place for a baby, Caroline."_

Klaus chuckled. "I assume you got plenty of parenting advice today, love?"

"In one ear and out the other," Caroline smiled. "She means well, but Freya is a bit more bohemian than we are, so I just think our parenting strategies will be vastly different."

After loading up the car, Klaus drove them back home but stopped her before she could go inside.

"Okay, I've got a surprise for you," he explained. He pulled a silk blindfold from his pocket. "I need you to trust me and put this on."

"This makes me nervous," she muttered as he covered her eyes before taking her hands to lead her inside. "Am I going to have to go upstairs?"

"Just one level," he confirmed. "I promise not to let you fall."

Caroline carefully ascended to their second floor, clutching his hands tightly. He guided her down the hallway and stopped just outside the nursery.

"So, while you were with the girls all afternoon at your shower, I was here with my brothers, Stefan, and Marcel," he began, opening the door. "I know you've been stressing out about getting the nursery finished, especially since we got all those gifts today, so I wanted to take one more thing off your plate." He reached up to remove the blindfold. "Surprise."

She gasped as she looked around the completed nursery. They'd decided upon a Peter Pan theme as a nod to where Klaus had proposed to her in Kensington Gardens, and it had turned out much better than Caroline had ever imagined.

"Henrik and Elijah painted the walls, and then I did the Big Ben and characters," he said as she looked around. "Stefan, Kol, and Marcel put the furniture together and decorated a bit."

"Oh, I love that," she breathed, pointing to the framed quote on the wall. Tears filled her eyes. "Nik, this is perfect. I don't even know what to say."

"I'm glad you like it," he beamed. "I was a bit nervous you'd be upset we finished it all without you."

"No," she shook her head, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I love it. And I love you."

"Good," he grinned, kissing her softly. "I have one more surprise for you."

"You do too much," she told him.

He led her over to the rocking chair next to the crib and then turned on the small television. "So, you know how I've been doing the secret project in the studio with Enzo?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Well, it wasn't just me," Klaus reported. "I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Macklemore had a baby this year with his wife, Tricia, so we teamed up and wrote a song together." He turned the TV on and a black and white video of Klaus and the rapper in the studio started playing. "This is what we came up with. It's called 'Growing Up,' and I hope you like it."

_**[Macklemore:]**_

_They say boys don't cry_

_But your dad has shed a lot of tears_

_They say I should be a strong man_

_But baby, I'm still filled with fear_

_Sometimes I don't know who I am_

_Sometimes I question why I'm here_

_I just wanna be a good dad_

_Will I be? I have no idea_

_They say girls shouldn't be tough_

_And moms should raise their kids at home_

_But baby, I know that that isn't true_

_Cause your momma's the toughest person I know_

_I wanna raise you to be like her_

_And watch you show the world how to do it on your own_

_I'm still tryna figure out who I am_

_I don't wanna mess this up or do this wrong_

_I'm gonna be there for your first breath_

_I don't know if I'll be there for your first step_

_I can promise you that I'll try to work less_

_But the tour's routed, and I got this album_

_Put in so many hours, and I just want the outcome_

_To be something that I can look back and I can be proud of_

_Don't wanna be a dad that's living in FaceTime_

_But I've got a world to sing to and you at the same time_

_I won't spoil you, you can trust that_

_For your sweet sixteen, you get a bus pass_

_Had your heart broken? Been there, done that_

_I love you and I can't give you enough of that_

_Get back to community that raised you up_

_Read Langston Hughes, I suggest "A Raisin in the Sun"_

_Listen to Sam Cooke, a change gon' come_

_You put the work in, don't worry about the praise, my love_

_Don't try to change the world, find something that you love_

_And do it every day_

_Do that for the rest of your life_

_And eventually, the world will change_

_**[Klaus:]**_

_I'll be patient, one more month_

_You'll wrap your fingers 'round my thumb_

_Times are changing, I know, but who am I if_

_I'm the person you become_

_If I'm still growing up, up, up, up_

_If I'm still growing up, up, up, up_

_I'm still growing up_

_**[Macklemore:]**_

_I recommend that you read "The Alchemist"_

_Listen to your teachers, but cheat in calculus_

_Tell the truth, regardless of the consequence_

_And every day, give your momma a compliment_

_Take your girl to the prom_

_But don't get too drunk hanging out the limo_

_Slow dance with your woman in your arms_

_Sneak her in after but boy, you better tiptoe_

_Don't wake your mom up,do yoga, learn 'bout karma_

_Find God, but leave the dogma_

_The quickest way to happiness? Learning to be selfless_

_Ask more questions, talk about yourself less_

_Study David Bowie, James Baldwin and 2Pac_

_Watch the sun set with best friends from a rooftop_

_Wear a helmet, don't be stupid,jaywalk, but look before you do it_

_If it snows, go outside, build a jump, get some help_

_Get a sled, thrash the hill with your friends, 'til it melts_

_Go to festivals, camp, fall in love and dance_

_You're only young once, my loved one, this is your chance_

_Take risks, cause life moves so fast_

_You're only young once, my loved one, this is your chance_

_**[Klaus:]**_

_I'll be patient, one more month_

_You'll wrap your fingers round my thumb_

_Times are changing, I know, but who am I if_

_I'm the person you become_

_If I'm still growing up, up, up, up_

_I'm still growing up, up, up, up_

_**[Klaus:]**_

_I'll be patient, one more month_

_You'll wrap your fingers round my thumb_

_Times are changing, I know, but who am I if_

_I'm the person you become_

_If I'm still growing up, still growing up, still growing up_

_If I'm still growing up, still growing up, still growing up_

_**[Klaus:]**_

_I'm still growing up_

_I'm still growing up, ooh_

_I'm still growing up_

_I'm still growing up_

Caroline was openly crying by the time the video ended. In their six-and-a-half years together, Klaus had written dozens of songs for her, but this was easily her favorite of them all.

"God, if sex wasn't so uncomfortable for me in my current state, I'd blow your mind right now," she joked, wiping her eyes. "I love it. It's my favorite song you've ever written."

"More so than even 'Give Me Love?'" he asked.

"Maybe it's a tie," she shrugged, still loving their wedding song. "Can you believe that in like, one month, we'll be parents?"

"I can't wait," he confirmed, kissing the top of her head. "It'll be our greatest adventure yet."

* * *

**_January 23..._**

"Caroline, you have to keep pushing," her British doctor, Dr. Charles, explained as he readied himself to deliver the baby. "Can you do that for me?"

"Yes," she breathed, clutching her husband's hand.

"You're the strongest person I know," Klaus whispered to her, pushing her hair off of her head. "You can do this, love. One more big push and he'll be here."

She nodded and pushed as hard as she could, praying to whomever she had to that she wouldn't poop on the table; Freya had told her that happened.

Suddenly, a cry filled the room and Caroline looked at Klaus in excitement.

"Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Mikaelson," Dr. Charles grinned, holding the baby up for them to see. "It's a boy. Klaus, would you like to cut the cord?"

With shaky hands, Klaus took the small scissors from one of the nurses and cut the umbilical cord, watching in amazement as their son was hurried to the small bed to be cleaned off before he would be presented to his parents.

"We did it," Caroline cried happily.

Klaus kissed all over her face. "_You_ did it, Caroline. This was all you."

"I think someone is ready to meet you guys," Caroline's head nurse, Max, announced as he carried the baby over, tucked tightly in a soft gray blanket.

"Hi, baby," Caroline beamed as she nestled him against her chest. "I'm your mommy, and this is your daddy."

Klaus sat down on the edge of the bed and ran a finger across the baby's cheek. "He's so perfect."

"Of course he is," Caroline confirmed. "He's ours."

"Name?" Max asked, ready to fill out the birth certificate.

"Julian," Klaus spoke up. "Julian Forbes Mikaelson."

Max filled it in and smiled at the new family again. "Welcome to the world, Julian Forbes Mikaelson."


	10. Chapter 10

**Sorry it's been forever. I'm the worst; I accept that. Hopefully this update helps. I know the song is a little cheesy, but I heard it the other day, and it worked for the situation. If there's something you'd like to see in this series, let me know. I'm always taking requests. You can also include songs you'd like to see Klaus sing if you think it fits. I love hearing from you guys. Thanks!  
**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

* * *

"Niklaus?"

Klaus froze at hearing the familiar voice behind him. He stood up from adjusting Julian in his stroller and turned to find himself face-to-face with Tatia Petrova, his ex-girlfriend and all around viper.

"Hello, Tatia," he greeted her coolly.

She glanced down at the four-month-old baby. "So, this is your life now, huh? Married with a baby? Things certainly have changed."

"Perhaps," he shrugged, "but unlike the man I was when you knew me, I'm happy."

Before she could respond, Caroline joined them. "Nik, is he sleeping yet?"

"He is," Klaus confirmed. "Fell asleep just now while we were looking at pasta."

"Oh, good," she breathed, looking to Tatia. "Hello."

"Caroline, this is Tatia Petrova," Klaus introduced. "Tatia, this is Caroline Mikaelson, my wife."

Recognizing the name, Caroline instinctively leaned into Klaus. "It's nice to meet you."

"Mm-hmm," Tatia smirked. "Your son is beautiful."

"Thank you," Caroline beamed. "I don't mean to be rude, but Nik, Rebekah and Stefan are expecting us soon. We should get going."

"Of course," he agreed. "Tatia," he nodded curtly before pushing Julian's stroller down the grocery aisle and towards the checkout.

"So, that was her, huh?" Caroline mused as he placed their items onto the conveyor. "Pretty much exactly what I pictured."

"What's that?" he wondered. "Poison in a leather skirt?"

"No," she denied. "Calculating and cold. She definitely thought she was better than us."

"She isn't," Klaus assured her. "She might think she leads a magnificent life, but deep down, she's miserable. We've been apart for more than nine years and I can still see that."

"I love you," she smiled.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, too."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, they made their way into Rebekah and Stefan's backyard for the barbecue they were hosting to celebrate Rebekah's twenty-sixth birthday. Everyone else had already arrived, but because of the baby, Caroline and Klaus were often given leeway on punctuality.

"Sorry we're late," Caroline apologized to Rebekah. "We got caught up in the market. I met Tatia."

Rebekah gasped. "What?!"

"She was there," Caroline explained. "Nik and Julian were looking at pasta while I went in search of a good wine, and when I found them, she was standing next to him, eyeing my baby like he was a bug on her shoe."

"Still a bitch then," Rebekah murmured. "I didn't much like Katherine when she first started seeing Elijah, but that was just me being the bratty younger sister then. I hated Tatia because she's garbage and treated Nik like dirt. It was infuriating to see. He was still kind of a mess when you first started."

"I remember," Caroline sighed, watching where Klaus was talking to his brothers.

"He's a better person now," Rebekah stated. "He's happy and successful. That's because of you, Caroline. I've never seen him more at peace than when Julian was born. It was actually very sweet."

Caroline grinned. "He took to fatherhood very seamlessly."

"He was nervous about it," Rebekah recalled. "He wanted a child, but he didn't really have great role models in Mikael and Ansel, so he wasn't sure if he'd be okay. I heard several conversations between him and Stefan about how he would do."

"I never doubted him," Caroline admitted. "Not once. He was so steadfast in his want of having a baby that I knew he'd be great."

Before Rebekah could say anything else, Julian began to fuss in his car seat, so Caroline reached in to pick him up.

"What's wrong, buddy?" she cooed, holding him closely to her chest. "Are you hungry?"

Klaus, who'd heard his son's cries, made his way over. "It's been almost four hours since he's eaten. He might be hungry."

"I think so," Caroline said. "Is the house unlocked?"

"Yes," Rebekah nodded.

Caroline carried the baby inside, knowing Klaus was following with his diaper bag. For the first month, she had tried desperately to breastfeed, but it was difficult and painful. Freya sent her dozens of resources on the subject, and while Caroline wanted to, it just didn't take, so they'd switched to formula when Julian was nearly five weeks.

When they reached the kitchen, Caroline handed the baby over so she could make the bottle while Klaus settled into the rocking chair in the living room with Julian.

"You've been so good today," Klaus murmured against the infant's head. "Don't muck it up now because you're hungry. Mummy is hurrying."

Julian only continued to cry.

"Okay, okay," Caroline said as she walked in to hand over the bottle.

Klaus offered it and Julian latched on immediately, greedily eating as quickly as he could.

"That's better," Klaus whispered, rocking slowly. "We're missing Aunt Rebekah's party."

"I don't mind," Caroline muttered as she sat on the couch. "For May, it's so hot out."

Klaus chuckled. "It isn't so bad. I think you've just spent so much time inside lately that you're used to the air conditioning of the house."

She sighed. "I wish you wouldn't have to return to the tour tomorrow."

"Me, too," he frowned. "Two months left, plus you two are joining me at the beginning of June."

"I know," she said. "It's just hard. He changes so much every day and I hate that you're missing it."

"Me, too," he scoffed. "I'm the one who sees him most days through a computer or cell phone."

"I don't mean to sound whiny," she assured him. "You're the one I feel for. I know how badly I miss you, but I'm here with him; you have both of us to miss. Right? You do still miss me even though he's here now?"

"Caroline," he said, eyeing her. "Don't be ridiculous, love. I miss you with every fiber of my being. I haven't been on tour without you in six years. I hate seeing Katherine and Elijah together because it makes me miss you even more."

Tears filled her eyes. "I miss it, too. I've always liked touring. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade being at home with him, but I can't wait until he's old enough to travel more."

"Hmm, I don't know," Klaus shrugged. "I don't know if I want him to grow up on tour, without any roots. I want him to have a normal upbringing."

"He will," she declared. "We did, for the most part, so we'll make sure he does, too."

When Julian finished his bottle, Klaus burped him before the couple made their way back outside to the party.

"Let me see that baby!" Bonnie cried as she reached for him. "Hi, Jules!"

Now happy and full, Julian squealed happily and reached for her dangly earrings.

"I'm sorry he has to leave again so soon," Elijah apologized to Caroline as the afternoon transitioned into early evening. "We worked to keep the dates spread out enough to give him opportunities to come home as often as possible."

"I know," Caroline nodded. "I don't blame you. This is our life; we adjust as best we can. We miss him, but we're making it."

Elijah grinned. "He's very mellow on this tour. He performs, writes, does a little press, and that's it. We don't really eat out or do anything else beyond work. He spends most of his free time in his hotel room."

"FaceTiming us," she filled in. "We probably speak at least three hours a day. He just wants to feel like he's here."

"I know," Elijah murmured. "All he talks about is his family and how much he misses you two."

"Two more months," she repeated. "In two months, he's home for a while."

"Yes, an extended break," Elijah confirmed. "We're all looking forward to it."

"Think you and Kat will ever have kids?" she asked.

He looked to where his wife was sitting at the patio table with Henrik, Kol, and Davina, playing Euchre. "I don't know. If we're going to, I'd like to do so soon. I'm nearing my middle thirties and I wouldn't want to be an old dad. Katerina, however, says she doesn't want children, and I'd never pressure her. I want her to be my wife more than I want a child."

"That's sweet," Caroline breathed. "She's really great with Julian; I think she's warming to the idea of motherhood."

"Stop talking about me!" Katherine yelled over. "I can just tell!" she added before they could ask how she knew.

"She's something, isn't she?" he chuckled fondly before walking over to stand behind her.

* * *

That night, after leaving the party a little early to spend Klaus' last few hours at home together as a family, the three of them were curled up in their bed, watching _Peter Pan_. Julian had no idea what was going on, but he liked the colors and sounds, so he was fascinated. It helped that he was situated comfortable in a Boppy pillow, giving his parents time to each other.

"Sixteen days," Klaus said as he drew lightly on the inside of her wrist. "In sixteen days, you guys will join me in Boston."

"Sixteen days," she breathed. "That's not so many."

"Not in the scheme of things," he agreed. "And in two months, when the tour wraps, we're free for the foreseeable future."

This made her smile brilliantly. "I can't wait. It will be so nice to just be us for a while."

"Mm-hmm," he said, nuzzling into her neck. "Is he sleeping yet?"

Caroline checked as he continued kissing along her collarbone. "Just about. I'd say he'll be out in five minutes."

"Well, I'll do what I can in the meantime," he smirked devilishly, pulling away to carefully duck under the covers.

When Caroline woke up early the next morning, both her men were out of their beds, so she climbed out herself and made her way downstairs to the kitchen, only to find it empty. She furrowed her brow and checked the rest of the first floor rooms before hearing Klaus' voice coming from the backyard. She spotted an open window in the living room, so she walked over and sat on the couch to listen.

"I hate having to leave you again," Klaus was saying as he rocked in the swing. "I hate that your mum is doing everything on her own. I know Rebekah has been a big help, and Bonnie is here frequently, but I should be here, too. I want to be. I want to sleep with her in my arms every night and I want to wake up to your laugh every morning. I'd even happily wake up to your cries if it meant being here. Before you came along, I would've gone on this tour like any other, and your mum would've been with me. You've changed everything, and I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Caroline heard Julian start to fuss, so Klaus had to change his tactic.

"I don't do anything except perform, so I've been writing," he explained, adjusting the baby so he was resting against Klaus' shoulder. "Perhaps you'd like to hear a song? It's sappy, and I'd never likely record it, but it's what I work on when I'm missing you two terribly."

_Another summer day_

_Has come and gone away_

_In Paris and Rome_

_But I wanna go home_

_Mmmmmmmm_

_May be surrounded by_

_A million people I_

_Still feel all alone_

_I just wanna go home_

_Oh, I miss you, you know_

_And I've been keeping all the letters that I wrote to you_

_Each one a line or two_

"_I'm fine baby, how are you?"_

_Well I would send them but I know that it's just not enough_

_My words were cold and flat_

_And you deserve more than that_

_Another airplane_

_Another sunny place_

_I'm lucky, I know_

_But I wanna go home_

_Mmmm, I've got to go home_

_Let me go home_

_I'm just too far from where you are_

_I wanna come home_

_And I feel just like I'm living someone else's life_

_It's like I just stepped outside_

_When everything was going right_

_And I know just why you could not_

_Come along with me_

_This was not your dream_

_But you always believed in me_

_Another winter day has come_

_And gone away_

_In either Paris or Rome_

_And I wanna go home_

_Let me go home_

_And I'm surrounded by_

_A million people I_

_Still feel alone_

_And let me go home_

_Oh, I miss you, you know_

_Let me go home_

_I've had my run_

_Baby, I'm done_

_I gotta go home_

_Let me go home_

_It'll all be all right_

_I'll be home tonight_

_I'm coming back home_

Caroline swiped at the tears that had begun falling whilst listening to him sing to their son and stood up to walk outside.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Klaus greeted her with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"

"I did," she nodded, noticing that Julian had fallen back asleep. "Have you eaten?"

"He has, I haven't," he answered. "Shall I make us something?"

"I will," she replied. "French toast?"

"Please," he grinned, following her into the house. "What time is it?"

"Going on eight," she told him, finding what she needed to cook.

Klaus placed Julian in his bassinet in the living room and joined her. "Did Elijah say what time the car is picking me up?"

"One," she reported. "Your flight leaves at 2:30, you'll land in New York around 4:00 their time, and your show is at 7:30. It's a busy day for you, so I was thinking we'd just lie around until the car arrives."

"I like that," he agreed.

"I um, heard you singing to him," she admitted softly, turning away from him. "I didn't mean to, but I heard you talking to him and it was so sweet, so I'd just planned to listen for a minute, but then you sang. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he denied, walking around the island to wrap his arms around her waist from behind. He kissed her neck. "I wrote it for you; you should hear it."

"I cried," she added. "I try so hard to not let you see how much I miss you, but it's so hard. I miss you. I miss you being here for me, of course, but I miss you being here for him. He sees you on a screen, but he doesn't understand that. He's a baby. And I know it isn't your fault, but it's still hard, and I hate it."

He turned her around to tightly hug her. "I hate it, too, love. It is the worst thing to go through, but we're strong and we'll make it. Know that all I'm truly focused on is getting home to my girl and our beautiful little boy."

"I know," she whispered. "I know most new moms take a lot of pictures, but I've been obnoxious because I want you to see everything that's happening with him."

He grinned. "I love you very much for that."

* * *

At quarter to one, Caroline was anxiously hoping time would stop and Klaus wouldn't have to leave. He was making sure all of his things were ready to go and she was pacing back and forth with Julian in her arms to calm her down.

"Sixteen days," he reminded her once again. "I'll have you in my arms again in sixteen days."

"I know," she whined.

There was a knock at their door, and Caroline heard Penny letting someone inside.

"Who is that?" she demanded. "I still get you for fifteen minutes."

He looked at her mysteriously. "Let's go find out."

She followed him out of their room and downstairs to find her mom, dad, Stephen, and Lily standing in the foyer with luggage.

"Hi, sweetie," Liz smiled up at her.

Caroline looked in shock at her husband. "You brought my family here?"

"They'll be here until you come to me," he told her, taking Julian so she could greet everyone. "I thought it might ease the sting of me leaving a bit."

"It does," she beamed, "but just a little." She rushed down to hug her mother. "Hi, Mommy!"

"Oh, my baby," Liz murmured, hugging her tightly.

Klaus stood back while his wife connected with her parents and sister. They hadn't seen each other since a couple of days after Julian's birth, so he knew this meant a lot to her.

"Bring me that baby!" Stephen called up to him.

"We'd like to see you, too, Klaus," Bill added kindly.

When the car arrived to take Klaus to the airport, he said his goodbyes to Caroline's family and Julian inside the house before Caroline walked out with him. She held onto him tightly while the driver loaded his bags in the trunk.

"Okay," Klaus finally said. "These two weeks will fly by. Your family will keep you occupied."

"I know," she sniffled. "It will be okay."

He reached up to wipe the tears away with his thumbs. "I love you very much, Caroline."

"I love you, too," she nodded, kissing him.

He pulled away to open the door. "I'll call you when I land."

Caroline wiped her eyes again. "Okay. Safe flight."

Once he was gone, she went inside and took Julian from her mom.

"It will be okay," Bill offered from the coach. "We'll keep your mind off him being gone and then it'll be time to go to Boston."

She grinned at the baby, who smiled back. "You're right. I'm glad you guys are here."

* * *

_**Sixteen days later...**_

Caroline held onto Julian tightly in his wrap around her chest as she navigated through Logan Airport in Boston. Rebekah had gone ahead to find their luggage while Caroline adjusted the baby and called Klaus to find out where he was. She was just reaching security when a familiar face appeared in the crowd.

"Look, Jules," she whispered as a smile crept across her lips. "There's your daddy."

When they reached him, Klaus wrapped his wife and son in his arms tightly and held on for dear life.

"I've missed you so much," he breathed, kissing them both.

"We did, too, but we made it," Caroline replied. "We're here."

"You're here," Klaus repeated. "Let's do this."


	11. Chapter 11

**Sorry for the delay. Life, you know. This is shorter than maybe some of you would like, but it's what I wanted to write next, and it ends where I felt most appropriate. The song is by OAR, but every time I hear it, I think it would be the perfect song for this couple, so I used it. If there are songs you'd like to see incorporated or stories you want to see told, let me know. As always, reviews are much appreciated. Thanks!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.**

**PS- song lyrics are in italics, as always, and what's written on the signs/posters is bolded.**

* * *

"I need your help."

Caroline looked up from where ten-month-old Julian was sleeping in his crib to see Kol standing at the threshold to the nursery. She backed away from the sleeping baby and led him downstairs.

"What's up?" she finally asked.

He took a deep breath. "I want to ask Bonnie to marry me."

Caroline lit up. "Oh my God, Kol! Really?"

"Yeah," he smiled, looking more vulnerable than she'd ever seen in the nearly ten years she'd known him. "True to form, I'd like to do it big. I've uhh, actually been working with Nik on a song I'd like him to sing, but I want to get everyone involved."

She threw her arms around him. "I'm so excited, Kol! And I'm so, so happy for you."

"Thanks, Care," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "She'll be back to London tomorrow, so I would like to plan for Friday evening."

Caroline sat down on the leather sofa and motioned for him to do the same. "You know what would be really amazing? If we can fly Elena over. Bonnie is going to say yes no matter what, but if you really want to stalk the deck in your favor, having Elena here would do it."

"You think?" he mused. "Could you call her, see if that's possible? I'll fly her out."

"Sure," she agreed. "Where do you want to propose?"

"Well, we had our first date as an actual couple at Queen Mary's Gardens in Regents," he explained, "so I was thinking there."

"That's lovely," Caroline agreed. "Well, do you have any ideas about what you'd like to do, or do you want my input on that?"

Kol sighed. "I don't know. I feel like I'd like to give some sort of speech, because you know I like to grandstand, but I'd feel so awkward to give it in front of everyone. I just know I want you all there."

"Hmm," Caroline considered. "Can I think on it? I desperately need to shower because Julian slept on me a little earlier, and he sweats like crazy, but I will plan some stuff and get back to you. And I'll speak to Elena." She hugged him again. "I'm so proud of you, Kol. This is a huge step, and it shows real maturity."

"Thanks, Care," he accepted. I love you, darling."

"I love you, too," she told him as they stood and walked to the front door. "I'll call you later."

Once he was gone, and she'd checked in on Julian, Caroline took a quick shower. When she finished, she went down to the recording studio in the basement and found her husband sitting at the soundboard, playing around with the controls.

"Hi," she smiled, going to sit in his lap. "What are you doing?"

"Trying to decide if I want to record the song Kol and I wrote for his proposal," he answered, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder. "It isn't finished yet, but it's good, and I quite like it. He gave me permission."

"Can I hear it?" she requested.

"I would love to play it for you," he began, "but Kol has sworn me to secrecy, so I cannot. It's definitely a song from Kol to Bonnie, and it fits them."

"I'm so excited for them," she whispered as he ran his hands soothingly through he damp hair. "Selfishly, I like that it would mean Bonnie settles down here in London."

He chuckled. "She's already here during much of her downtime as it is."

"Yes, but his place would become her permanent address," she reasoned. "Then only Elena would still be in the States."

"Well, let's leave her—and Damon—back in Mystic Falls," he declared, nudging her to stand. "Is the boy still grouchy?"

"He isn't grouchy," she denied as they went back upstairs. "He just wanted his mama this morning and you aren't used to that."

"He's never turned away from me like he did at breakfast," Klaus grumbled. "He couldn't get away from me fast enough."

Caroline patted his back. "He has a tooth coming in."

"You don't think he resents that I was away so much in the first several months, do you?" he asked softly. "I was essentially gone until he was six months old."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly. "Don't even think that, Nik. He worships you. Nine times out of ten, it's you he goes to. Sometimes a baby just needs his mom. I'm sure that when he wakes up, he'll go back to wanting you all the time."

Klaus sighed. "Maybe you're right. I still just feel so guilty."

"You shouldn't," she denied. "That's silly. He loves you, and I very much love you."

"Good," he breathed, kissing her softly. "Enough to make another baby?"

"Not yet," she denied as his hands slid under her tank top. "I want them to be two years apart like you and Elijah and you and Kol. That means we start trying in February. Dr. Charles said we should start trying a month before we want to get pregnant, and we'd want to get pregnant in March."

He groaned and rested his head on her shoulder. "No more medical talk, please. You're ruining the moment."

Before Caroline could respond, they heard babbling from the baby monitor.

"And it's officially ruined," she teased, going to the stairs with Klaus at her heel.

* * *

"Kol is proposing?" Katherine smirked that night during her weekly girls' night dinner with Caroline and Rebekah. "What makes him think Bon-Bon will say yes?"

"She will," Caroline stated confidently. "Don't say that to him because he's already nervous as it is."

"My brother, nervous?" Rebekah scoffed. "That I need to see."

Caroline felt defensive for Kol. "It's a big step, but I think he's ready. He'd like to have everyone involved, so you don't have a choice in the matter. Whatever he requests, you'll do. It's happening Friday night at Queen Mary's Gardens."

"Fine," Katherine shrugged. She twirled her spoon between her fingers. "I've got news. I'm pregnant."

"What?!" Caroline cried. She looked around the crowded restaurant in embarrassment. "Sorry." Turning back to Katherine, she was beaming. "You're having a baby?"

"Yep," Katherine confirmed nonchalantly. "We weren't trying, it just happened, but we've decided we're happy about it."

"I'm so happy for you guys," Caroline said, squeezing her best friend's hand. "Congratulations."

"Yes, congrats," Rebekah added softly.

Caroline and Katherine locked eyes. Rebekah's desire for a child was blatant, but Stefan kept insisting he wasn't ready yet, so they'd postponed trying. While she wanted to be supportive of her husband, Rebekah was losing hope that he'd ever be ready, despite him only being thirty and she just twenty-eight.

"I'm sorry, Bek," Katherine apologized in a rare moment of guilt. "This was really inconsiderate of me to announce like this."

"No, don't be," Rebekah shook her head with a smile. "I really am happy for you two, and I love spoiling babies. Are you hoping for a girl or boy?"

"I think I'd like a girl," Katherine declared. "Elijah would be happy either way; he's so over the moon about it."

"A girl would be nice," Rebekah nodded. "So, what's the plan for Kol?"

* * *

"I want a baby."

Stefan looked up from his computer to see Rebekah standing at the foot of their bed, hands on her hips.

"What?" he finally asked.

"I would like to have a child," she repeated. "Katherine and Elijah are pregnant, and she never even wanted a baby. I've wanted to be a mother for as long as I can remember, and yet, you've refused. We've been married two years now, Stefan, and I'm ready. Aren't you ready? Don't you want to be a dad?"

He set the laptop aside so she could crawl into bed beside him. "Yes, I'd like to be a dad. I'm just not sure I'm ready to be one yet."

"Well, when will you be sure?" she demanded. "You keep putting it off, and that scares me into thinking you'll never want a child. Is that the case?"

"No, Beks, it isn't," he denied. He sighed. "I'm just afraid I'm going to end up like my father. Giuseppe pushed me into doing so many things that I never wanted, and while I don't think I'd do that, what if I do? Then I'm no better than him."

Rebekah frowned. "You're nothing like your father. He's a controlling tyrant, much like mine was, and you're sweet and supportive. Any child would be lucky to have you as a father, Stefan."

"You think?" he murmured, wrapping an arm around her.

"I know," she confirmed. "We can wait a little longer, if that makes you more comfortable. I just don't want our kids to be so much younger than Julian or Elijah and Katherine's child. And I know Caroline and Nik will have at least one more. Plus, Kol is asking Bonnie to marry him, and he wants kids yesterday, so they'll get pregnant as soon as she's ready."

"Kol is proposing?" Stefan smirked. "That should be interesting."

"Caroline is helping him plan," she explained. "We just have to be at Queen Mary's Gardens on Friday evening."

* * *

"Elena!" Caroline called as she stood just beyond security at Heathrow on Friday morning.

The brunette hurried through the crowd and stopped when she reached Caroline, hugging her tightly. "Hi, Care!"

"I'm so glad you could make it," Caroline said as they walked through the airport. "Kol really appreciates it."

"I'm so excited," Elena gushed. "I can't believe Bonnie is getting married."

"These days, I'm with Kol more, and him getting married is more shocking, but it's right," Caroline said. "They're really good together. She grounds him and he gets her to loosen up."

"They are cute together," Elena nodded. "Kat said she has news, too. Is she finally getting her nose done?"

Caroline fought to keep from rolling her eyes at Elena's weak attempt to disparage her twin sister. "Um, no, that isn't it. Come on, I still have to put everything together for tonight, so we have to hurry."

* * *

Bonnie emerged from the taxi at Regents Park on Friday evening and found Klaus waiting for her, his acoustic guitar strapped over his shoulder, with Caroline holding a video camera.

"What's going on?" she asked nervously. "Where's Kol?"

"Just head to the gardens," Klaus advised. Once she'd started, he followed and began to play, with Caroline filming the whole thing.

_I don't wanna fight no more_

_Only wanna get to shore_

_Baby, don't slam the door tonight_

_We ran another off the tracks_

_That's time we can't get back_

_But, we can save tomorrow if we try_

_Oh, 'til we make this right_

_Oh, I won't say, "Good night._

The first person Bonnie reached on the path was Stefan, holding up a sign with Kol's messy handwriting on it.

**"I'm pretty sure I fell in love with you the first time we met at that Halloween party in Los Angeles."**

"Stefan, I had no idea you felt that way," Bonnie joked with a wink as Klaus continued her forward.

_I just wanna make you laugh_

_I just wanna see that smile_

_Babe, we're only here, oh, for a little while_

_I just wanna hold you till we fall asleep_

_I want love, I want us, I want you, I want me, I want peace_

Rebekah and her sign were next.

**"You thought I was an idiot, which I am, but you still agreed to get to know me, and I can never thank you enough for that."**

After Rebekah came Elijah (**"Our relationship hasn't always been easy"**), Henrik (**"But I've never given up that someday, we'd get to this place"**), and Katherine (**"And I'm so happy this is where we've ended up"**).

_Everybody needs a place_

_Somewhere that's warm and safe_

_A shelter from this crazy world we're in,_

_But tonight I let the rain inside_

_And took away your place to hide_

_I'm sorry that I made you cry again_

_Oh, we can make this right,_

_Oh, kiss me good night_

The last person Bonnie got to, near the heart of the garden, was Elena, holding the biggest poster yet.

**"You're the only woman I've ever truly loved. I want to wake up with you every morning, go to bed with you every night, and share everything in between. I can't imagine my life without you, and I'm hopeful I never have to." **

Bonnie, who now had tears slowly streaming down her cheeks, continued past her best friend in search of the next person, who she hoped would be Kol.

_I just wanna make you laugh_

_I just wanna see that smile_

_Babe, we're only here, oh, for a little while_

_I just wanna hold you till we fall asleep_

_I want love, I want us, I want you, I want me, I want peace_

_Yeah, I want peace_

_Oh, we don't have to fight_

_Oh, just kiss me all night_

_'Cause I want peace, yeah_

Standing at the gazebo in the center of the garden, Bonnie found Kol standing with a bouquet of red roses, her favorite flower. He set them aside to take her hands when she reached him.

"Hi," he smiled, trying to shake off his nerves.

"Hi," she whispered, squeezing his hands to comfort him.

"I wanted to make this something you'd always remember, and what better way than to include the people closest to us?" he began, nodding to their friends and family who had circles around the gazebo. "I hope the cards said everything I wanted to convey, so I'll just get to the point." He got down on one knee and pulled out a small velvet box that he opened to reveal a princess-cut diamond ring. "Bonnie Sheila Bennett, I love you so much. Will you marry me?"

"Yes," she answered, allowing him to put the ring on her finger. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Kol stood up and hugged her close as Klaus finished the song he and Kol had written together for this very moment.

_I just wanna make you laugh_

_I just wanna see that smile_

_Babe, we're only here, oh, for a little while_

_I just wanna hold you till we fall asleep_

_I want love, I want us, I want you, I want me, I want peace_

_I just wanna make you laugh_

_I just wanna see that smile_

_Babe, we're only here, oh, for a little while_

_I just wanna hold you till you fall asleep_

_I want love, I want us, I want you, I want me, I want peace,_

_I want love, I want us, I want you, I want me, I want peace_


End file.
